Furious Firefly
by sxevlbtch
Summary: She was caged in a place that wasn't her own. A precious commodity imprisoned on a half-life world by a psychotic dictator. He was running from his own demons. Running from both the living and the dead. Maybe together, they could find what they were looking for. Rated M for eventual violence, language, etc.
1. Prologue

AN: To all my lovely readers/ followers, I'm back, just not how you were probably expecting! While this is outside of my normal Riddick/ River pairing, I am amazed that there has not been one cross-over between Mad Max and Firefly yet. I mean seriously? This has to change. Anyways, hope you all enjoy this short entry at the start of this adventure.

Also, all of this is in good fun/ I don't own any of these wonderful characters (Thank you Joss Whedon and George Miller). I am just borrowing them to play with for a while, so please don't sue me.

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Prologue

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Broken…She was broken. That's how they liked to keep her. Beaten… delusional… chained… caged. Made it harder for her to fight back. It made it easier for them to get what they wanted, what _he_ wanted. He wanted her blood, high octane grade A pure. She was special… his lifeline. His private reserve. And every time he took some, the madness filled her mind.

 _"_ _Oil wars… Killing for guzzoline."_

 _"_ _Water… running out of water."_

 _"_ _Aqua-cola."_

Theoretical impossibility she never could quantify, no matter how many different quantum mechanics she used to try and explain it. She shouldn't have been here. She should have been dead.

 _"_ _Thermonuclear skirmish…It's sour…Our bones are poisoned."_

 _"_ _We have become half-life."_

 _"_ _The world fell…"_

She should have died in the stars… died leading them away from the others. She had grown tired of running. Tired of watching them run and hide. Sleeping with one eye open for hands of blue that would come and strangle her mind. Come at them sideways, sidle up beside them and smile. She didn't want any more blood on her hands, she was already drowning in it.

She had fallen on the pyre… a sacrificial lamb so that the others would live. So that they could stop running. Two by two, she had called them and led them away from the only home she had known.

But that wasn't the end of it. No, whatever cursed being that lived in those heavens that Book had once looked to for guidance, had seen fit to curse her once more. Send her spiraling out of control and into a world she had only read of… a world broken.

In the end it didn't matter though, each of us, in our own way, was broken.

But in this world, it was hard to know who was more crazy:

The girl...or everyone else.

XXX

She hears the door to her cell open and doesn't bother to look. Despite her shattered mind, she knows what time it is… time for his top up. They lower her from the cell and dangle her mid air, the tube in her arm carrying his grade A pure blood. Her mind goes dizzy and the memories of when they found her invade her skull.

She was wandering away from the crash… a small trail of smoke leading up into the sky. Like a gorram beacon, just begging for the scavengers to come and claim her. She was still dazed from the crash when they circled her, but managed to take two out that got too close. But then she felt the electric shock peel through her body and her mind went black.

She didn't know where they took her. She only knew it smelled of grime and oil. She was presented, like a sack of potatoes. Thrown at his feet with her arms and legs chained together. That's the first time she saw him…and heard his mind. She threw up what little there was in her stomach at his feet, the stench of his mind was so rotten and foul.

When they first brought her in, he had thought of breeding her… but when the organic mechanic had gotten his hands on her, he had changed his mind. She was a precious commodity… _His_ precious commodity.

He kept her well fed, but that was more for his gain than hers. He couldn't harvest her blood if she died from starvation. They had tried giving her a bath once, but she had killed the first person to get too close by tearing out his throat with her teeth. Now they knew better, and she lived her days between moments of insanity and delirium, trapped in a cage like they used for the rest of the blood bags.

 _"_ _River?"_ Simon's voice echoes in her brain. _"Where are you, River?"_

Great, here they come again. She screws her eyes shut and hopes she passes out soon. The voices that claw at her, worming their way into the back matter of her brain… the one's manifested by her guilt.

 _"_ _Why did you leave us, River?"_ The Captain asks. " _Is that you Albatross?"_

Thankfully, she passes out not long after.

XXX

She hears them crying in her dreams. Hears them screaming and wailing as he abuses them. _His_ property. _His_ things. They invade her mind with their whimpers.

 _"_ _We are not things."_ They chant over and over. He never listens.

She wants to help them… wants more than anything to beat him into a bloody pulp. Her mind and body scream with the injustice of it all. At the rotted and rusted twisted metal that keeps her in place. She hates him more than anything. More than the hands of blue, more than the Academy, more than Reavers. She hates Immortan Joe with every fiber of her being.

XXX

When she wakes up, something is… different. There's an energy, an electricity. It's stimulating every nerve in on her body. Something is coming… something is changing. She just doesn't know what yet.

XXX

AN: So it's short, but I hope you guys enjoyed this. I am still fleshing things out, and as always, any feedback (positive or negative) is always appreciated. Until' next time. ;)


	2. Branded

AN: Thank you Ashmo21, Kalaong, Rainbor123, and Irishbrneyes for the reviews. I'm genuinely thrilled when people take the time to review/ leave feedback. Hope you guys like the proper start of this fic.

Chapter 1: Branded

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River's POV

It's the middle of the night when she feels his presence down in the depths of their prison. Feels the raw energy and hatred boiling beneath his skin, as they leave their disgusting marks behind. Her eyes flutter closed as she feels his pain manifest on her own branded skin.

 _No name…Full life…Hi-Octane…Road Warrior…Isolate psychotic…Keep muzzled._

She feels him fight… break free of the ropes binding him and run. She sees thru his eyes as he darts through the hallways. She wishes she could tell him where to go as he runs. Suddenly he stops, and she can't believe what she sees. It's as if she's seeing her ghost.

 _"_ _Help."_ Her own voice echoes in his brain.

Her eyes slam open. In all her time in the Academy or with Simon on Serenity afterwards, she had never manifested herself in someone else's brain-pan. Maybe she's finally losing the last little bits of her sanity. Her entire body becomes wracked with shakes and she screams into the muzzle in her mouth.

Despite the muzzle, she's loud enough that the War Boy standing guard comes inside.

"Shut it blood bag!" He says as he prods her with a cattle prod.

The first jolt of electricity courses through her veins and ignites her fury. Her vision blurs and she begins to see red, as her hands shake and she screams again.

"I said shut it!" The War Boys says as he moves closer.

He's close enough for her to grab, and as he goes to prod her again, she quickly snatches his free arm and the cattle prod with both hands. She quickly jams the prod into his neck and turns it on full blast. He doesn't even have time to scream before he falls to the floor in a heap.

A single thought overloads her brain: run.

If her hands weren't shaking enough before, they are now even more so from the pure adrenaline being dumped into her veins. Her hands and legs are shackled, but she has enough room to start breaking apart the cattle prod in her hands. She needs to get the shackles off before she can free herself from the cage.

Her fingers begin to bleed as she manages to free a small piece of metal from inside, and she furiously works tor try and get the shackles open. It feels like a lifetime, but when she hears the first click on her hands, she wants to cry in happiness. She quickly throws the manacles off and then throws the muzzle off her mouth. Next she rips the IV out of her arm as quickly as she can. She winces in pain and feels some blood begin to run down her arm, but she doesn't care.

The legs go faster, and soon she begins to work on the cage. The release soon snaps open and she drops to the floor next to the collapsed War Boy. She immediately raids his pockets for anything of use, and unfortunately finds nothing. She takes the oversized combat boots off his feet and quickly slips her feet into them and laces them up as fast as she can. They won't be silent if she has to run, but it's better than being barefoot.

She creeps as quietly as she can over to the door and peers out. The hallways were empty since it was the middle of the night, and she breathes a small sigh of relief.

But that relief is quickly dashed and she's frozen in place as she hears and feels someone coming towards her. She's paralyzed as they come in to view.

XXX

Furiosa was not expecting to see the disheveled slip of a girl in front of her as she rounded the corner with her 'cargo.' She knew exactly who the girl was, Immortal Joe's private blood bag, and was more than surprised to see her standing there. She holds the others back as she slowly approaches.

She steps in front of her and glances into the cell she came from to see the crumpled War Boy; the one that was right next to where he kept the wives sealed off from the rest of the world. His most valuable possessions: flesh and blood personified.

"You stable?" Furiosa asks the fragile looking girl in front of her.

She feels the other women come up behind her now, but still motions for them to stay back.

The girl looks around Furiosa at the women and then back to her before nodding a yes.

"You wanna get through this?" Furiosa asks her now.

All she gets is another nod yes, but that's enough for her.

"Do as I say and keep up." Furiosa says as she walks past the girl. Six young women trailing behind her as quietly as they can.

XXX

Max's POV

It's dark when my head begins throbbing and I crack my eyes open slowly. My entire body aches from the small cramped space, and my back feels as if it is on fire. I can barely move and begin to use my bound hands to try and feel around. I'm in a cage, shackled and bound, and there is a small fissure in the stone ceiling that enables a sliver of light to come through.

 _"_ _Help."_ The voice echoes in my head and I shake my head violently to keep it from taking root in my brain. I tell myself...they cannot touch me. They are long dead. And I have enough demons haunting me, I don't need another.

But it's no use. The image of her is already burned in there. It's just too erie how much she reminds me of Jessie. That same wild chestnut hair, and those same haunting eyes. Just another echo of my past failures. I won't be getting any sleep tonight at this rate. Not like I could in this cage though.

XXX

…Just after daybreak…

"We are War Boys!" Ace screams as he walks the length of the rig that is slowly descending on the platform.

"War Boys!" Hundreds answer in unison.

The chanting is almost deafening as they finish hooking up the War Rig.

"Kamakrazee War Boys!" Ace screams again in the pointless ritual of it all.

"War Boys!" Hundreds reply.

Someone yells from the back of the rig now. "Hooked on!"

"Today we're heading...to Gas Town!" Ace screams the orders.

"Gas Town!" The mindless War Boys respond.

Ace yells again. "Today we're hauling Aqua Cola."

"Aqua Cola!" The mindless respond.

"Today we're hauling produce!" Ace calls out/

"Produce!" The mindless mass respond.

"And today we're hauling...Mother's Milk!"

"Mother's Milk!"

The platform touches the ground and dozens of War Boys move to the front to protect the rig and mount their vehicles.

The War Boys begin to chant for their leader now as they wait for him to appear on the platform above. "Joe! Joe! Joe! Immortan Joe!"

"Rev it up for the Immortan Joe!" Ace screams as the escorting War Boys rev their engines for their leader.

XXX

River's POV

They were in the belly of the beast, listening to the deafening roar of the engines and the chants of the War Boys. She had hidden them in the cover of night, in a small compartment only a handful of people would even know of. The compartment couldn't have been any bigger than the length of the small room she had on Serenity, but there was not enough room to stand. She had told them to sleep, but they all knew that sleep would not come even if they begged for it. They were too tense.

The other women huddled together in one corner, fear and tension radiating off of them in nauseating waves. She was a few feet away from them, her ear pressed to the floor. Listening to the crowd, listening for anything that might tell them if anyone knew of their escape yet.

But when his booming voice came over the speakers that he had strategically placed to bark orders to the crowd, her skin began to crawl and her hands reflexively balled into fists.

"Once again, we send off my War Rig to bring back...guzzoline from Gas Town...and bullets from the Bullet Farm!" Immortan Joe's voice echoed in her brain.

She snaps her eyes shut and tries to keep the memories she had gleaned off him from bubbling up to the surface.

His voice echoes around the metal walls. "Once again, I salute my Imperator…Furiosa! And I salute...my half-life War Boys...who will ride with me eternal...on the highways of Valhalla. I am your redeemer. It is by my hand...you will rise from the ashes...of this world!"

She wants to throw up…wants to scream. She feels and hears the others grow concerned for her, and for themselves, since they are trapped in this small metal room with her.

 _"_ _If she screams, they will hear…"_

 _"_ _What wrong with her?"_

Their voices are almost as load as the chanting War Boys outside the rig. She curls into a ball and closes her eyes. But not long after, she feels someone pull her into a tight embrace.

"Shhh…it's alright." She opens her eyes to see Angharad calmly running her hands thru her hair and whispering to her. She's a ball of nerves herself, but she's trying to be strong for them all.

"We're going to the green place of many mothers." She says as she continues to stroke her hair.

It's the first time anyone has touched her without malicious intent since… Kaylee and Inara played with her hair. Thinking of them now brings back sad memories, and she can taste the sadness.

The War Rig lurches forward now, and she feels them all relax. She doesn't say anything, but as Angharad brings her over to where the others are huddled, she feels the dark memories recede back into the recesses of her brain. She had wanted to help them before, but being here with them, seeing and feeling their tension and fear of having to go back; it's enough to make her instantly protective.

"He will never hurt you again. She promises." She says to more than one confused face. It doesn't matter to her though. They don't know anything about her, and they aren't the people she knows and loves. But they are soft, full of sunshine and hope, and provide some comfort for her fractured and broken brain. And she can't let this broken world break them too.

XXX

Max's POV

"I got a War Boy...running on empty." Someone calls out as they enter the room where I am caged. The man is supporting a smaller, visibly weaker man walk into the room. They all look the same though, bald head, white skin, cracked skin with grim and grease. They are walking ghosts.

Somewhere deeper in the room a voice calls back to them. "Hook up that full-life."

The man deposits the weaker one underneath the cage that I am in and grabs the IV line that is attached to my arm. He quickly jams it into the weaker man.

Before I realize what's happening the floor of the cage opens and I am dangling by my feet upside down. The man who hooked up the IV moves past me and purposefully smacks me. I taste copper in my mouth, and spit blood in his face.

"Hey! Careful Slit. That's a universal donor." The voice of from the back of the room yells as it draws closer.

The man glares at me now. Tiny flecks of blood coat his white skin. "Worthless blood bag." He says as he walks off.

I'm left stewing watching his retreating form, and all I can think is I cannot wait to kill him.

XXX

… Back on the War Rig…

Furiosa watches the Citadel become smaller and smaller in her side mirror. Sees the blinking light signaling Gas Town in front of them. She takes a deep breath before she swerves off of the road in front of her and begins to head East.

In a minute Ace comes up to the side of her door. "Boss, we're not going to Gas Town?" He asks Furiosa. She doesn't respond and keeps driving.

"Bullet Farm?" He continues to press Furiosa.

She glances at him quickly before turning her eyes back to the wasteland in front of her. "We're heading East."

Ace looks skeptical as he moves back towards the War Boys on the rig. "I'll pass it down the line."

XXX

River's POV

As she feels the War Rig pull to the left, she knows it will only be a matter of minutes before he discovers the truth… discovers his precious 'property' has flown from its cage. She moves herself away from the others and feels them watch her with apprehension as she moves back to where she was earlier; ear pressed to the floor, hands slowly making circles and tracing patterns on the floor. Silently trying to calculate how much time they have left.

Her eyes flutter closed, and she tries to _hear_ anything that may tell them what he knows. So far she feels nothing, hears nothing. But she knows their head start is slowly clocking down to zero.

XXX

AN: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Until next time, stay shiny ;)


	3. Feral

AN: I am utterly amazed by all the readers that have started to follow this story. It makes me smile to see people become invested in the stories I write. Special shout outs to Kalaong and Irishbrneyes, you always make me so happy with your reviews. I hope this update doesn't disappoint you both.

Chapter 2: Feral

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Immortan Joe was conducting his daily inspection of the Mothers' milk supply. He held out a bottle for Rictus to try. Rictus takes a swig and nods his approval. Immortan Joe is about to move on to his inspection of the produce when Corpus interrupted.

"Hey, Pa." Corpus called to his father.

Immortan Joe stops and turns towards Corpus. "Hmm?"

"You know about this?" Corpus says as he looks out of the spyglass. "Your produce ain't going to Gas Town."

Immortan Joe stalks over and leans in to look for himself. It takes him a minute to find the War Rig's dust trail.

"She's gone off-road...into hostile territory."

Joe doesn't bother to look again before turning and hurriedly stalking out of the Mothers' room.

"Why would she do that?" Rictus asks the retreating form of his father, before turning to try and use the spyglass himself. "Let me see."

"Rictus." Corpus says as he holds the spyglass away from Rictus.

Rictus pouts like a petulant over-grown man-child that he is, "I wanna see."

"Rictus." Corpus says more forcefully. "Go see what's agitating Dad."

XXX

River's POV

It was a pin prick on her skin… but she felt it. Felt the waves that pin prick made along her spine, causing the hair on the back of her head to stand up. She sat up from floor now and moved towards the trap door in the floor of the compartment and slowly began to pull it back.

"What are you doing?" Angharad asks as the other women begin to sit up and take notice.

"She's listening…" She say as she opens the door just enough to better hear the outside world.

"For what?" Toast asks her somewhat incredulously. Out of all the 'wives,' she was the most guarded around the newcomer.

 _"_ _She's crazy."_ Toast thinks to herself.

But she doesn't bother to respond and just keeps her ear low to the crack in the door.

XXX

Immortan Joe runs past the grow rooms and directly towards his vault. Rictus is not far behind him. As he comes to the vault door he furiously spins the dial to the correct combination. The lock hisses as it releases and he quickly pulls open the door into the inner vault.

Immortan Joe's boots announce his presence as he stomps into the room.

"Splendid!" Immortan Joe calls out. His only response is silence. "Angharad!" He yells louder.

He looks down at the ground and sees ' _Our babies will not be warlords'_ written in white paint on the stone floor near the wading pool.

"Where are they?" He says as he looks around the room.

"They are not your property." An elderly voice calls from the back.

"Miss Giddy?" Immortan Joe asks angrily as he stalks towards the old woman.

Miss Giddy is holding a shot gun towards Joe. "You cannot own a human being. Sooner or later someone pushes back!" But she hesitates to pull the trigger when she needs to and he easily snatches it and turns the barrel to face the ceiling as it fires. Small debris and dust fall on to his head.

"Where is she taking them?" Immortal Joe demands.

"She didn't take them…They begged her to go!" Miss Giddy defiantly yells.

Now Immortal Joe is screaming. "Where is she taking them?" His hand comes up to encircle Miss Giddy's throat, and he begins to squeeze.

"A long way from you." Miss Giddy responds while spitting in his face.

He throws her to the ground and walks back out of the room past Rictus. He should never have entrusted her with them. Should never have assigned Furiosa to protect his property. He should have known that she would try something like this.

He continues back down the hallway he came from when something catches his eye. He takes a left and kneels down to the ground to see the small pool of blood in front of _her_ door. His eyes widen as he easily pushes the door open and spies the dead War Boy on the floor.

If he wasn't furious before, Immortan Joe certainly was now as he screams in a rage as Rictus and two Imperators come in the cell.

"Prepare a furious vexation! I want my property!" Immortan Joe yells.

XXX

Max's POV

My head is dizzy from hanging upside down for so long, but I start to hear a commotion… dozens of footsteps and the beating of drums, and I crack open my eyes. The half-life War Boy I'm attached to seems to hear it too.

He sits up and starts asking questions of the War Boys walking through the corridor. "Hey. Hey, what's happening?"

"Slit! What's going on?" He calls to the fucker from earlier, the one that brought him in. I glare at him as he passes, but he doesn't notice.

"Slit!" The half-dead War Boy calls to him to no avail.

"Treason. Betrayal." Another War Boy says as he walks through. "An Imperator gone rogue."

I can't help but wonder who or what's an Imperator? That's the thing about all these different factions, they all have their own fucked up hierarchy.

"An Imperator. Who?" The half-dead underneath me asks.

The same War Boy answers now. "Furiosa! She took a lot of stuff from Immortan Joe."

"What stuff?" half-dead asks.

"Breeders! His prize breeders! He wants them back! Not a hand laid on them."

It doesn't surprise me. It's all the same in this wasteland. The one's in power run their fucked up little colony while living the high life, like Aunty Entity in Bartertown. It will never change.

Suddenly there's some commotion and I feel myself swing as the IV line connected to half-dead pulls me towards him as he struggles with the other fucker.

"That's my wheel." Half-dead complains, pulling at a steering wheel.

"I'm driving." Fucker retorts and moves to walk away.

"You're my lancer."

"I just promoted myself."

"Not today. Today is my day." Half-dead begs, still kneeling on the floor.

"Look at you. If you can't stand up, you can't do war." Fucker sneers at him.

The organic mechanic that runs the blood bag shop comes over now and chimes in. "He's right, son. You're already a corpse."

"I just need a top-up. More juice." Half-dead says as he motions towards me. I glare at him if he thinks he can just take my blood so easily.

"No time!" Fucker says as he tries to end the argument.

"We take my Blood Bag. We take my Blood Bag and strap him to the lancer's perch."

"It's got a muzzle on it. It's feral."

That's right fucker, I am feral. And the first chance I get I am going to tear you a part.

"High-octane crazy blood filling me up." Half-dead says as he stands and head butts fucker to get him to let go of the steering wheel. "If I'm gonna die...I'm gonna die historic on the Fury Road."

XXX

River's POV

She hears them… in the distance. The mechanical hiss of their wheels, the pounding of their drums. A furious vexation was beginning.

"They're coming." She says softly as she sticks her head out of the trap door and looks into the horizon behind them. Her hair drags on the ground and catches the dust.

"What are you doing!" Toast hisses at her and yanks her back into the compartment. The others look on in a mixture of shock and surprise.

Afraid. She thinks to herself. They are all afraid. The others are not accustomed to or hardened by the Wasteland. But Toast is different. She can taste her freedom again, and wants so desperately to be free of their metal confines. Doesn't want anything to jeopardize it. Wants to kiss the dirt and spread her wings.

She doesn't say anything as Toast looks at her questioningly. A thousand questions buzz through her brain, but she doesn't know how to answer their unasked questions. Conflicted. She wants to protect them. Wants to be the weapon… not the girl. But it would prove more counterproductive than useful.

These women know each other. Trust each other. She's an outsider. An unknown. A potential threat. Would they believe her answers? Would that make them more trusting? Or would it make them more hateful for hearing what they do not want to hear. There is no green place… only dust.

They don't understand. She thinks to herself. They do not comprehend. So she says nothing, and moves back to sit on the other side of the compartment. Let them wonder, let them question whether she is friend or foe. Her words wouldn't persuade them either way. Actions will speak louder than words. And it isn't the time yet.

XXX

Max's POV

It takes four War Boys with cattle prods to coerce me on to the lancers perch. I spit and growl at them every time they come too close. It isn't long before we are driving into the Wasteland. Heading off-road into hostile territory.

Half-dead is driving, and fucker is perched in the back of the vehicle. All I can think is if fucker gives me the chance i'm going to take it.

But that's when I see something to of the corner of my eye. My Interceptor. Turned into one of their bloody caltrops. I snarl in disgust at seeing what they have done to her.

"How much more can they take from me?" I say into the wind whipping around me. "They've got my blood. Now it's my car!"

We pass the massive drum vehicle and zoom forward towards the lead vehicle. A monster of a machine. In a world where there's barely one of anything, it figures that this Immortal Joe would be the man who's got two of everything.

"Immortan! Immortan Joe!" I hear half-dead call from the driver's seat behind me.

The driver of the Monster looks over. A mask covers the lower half of his face, and he looks as if he bite metal in two. He glares at me, and I'm not sure if its at me or the thought of someone else leading the pack in front of his car.

"He looked at me! He looked right at me!" Half-dead screams in excitement, as if a mere look from that mad-man is worth anything.

"He looked at your Blood Bag!" Fucker is quick to correct.

But there is no dissuading half-dead. "He turned his head. He looked me in the eye."

"He was scanning the horizon." Fucker yells over the roar of the engines and the wind.

"No…I am awaited! I am awaited in Valhalla!" Half-dead screams and throttles the car forward.

As the wind and sand rips into my eyes I want to throttle half-dead's head into the dash of the car. "Fuck!" I scream as it tears into my face.

XXX

…The War Rig…

As Furiosa scans the horizon for any sign of hostile activity, she catches a glimpse of yellow and red flares to the North of the War Rig.

"Fuck." She says to herself as she continues on.

A few minutes after she sees the flares Ace is pounding on the hatch in the roof. "Boss." He says as she opens the hatch to hear what he wants.

"We've got vehicles from the Citadel. They want reinforcements from Gas Town...and the Bullet Farm. What is this? Backup? Decoy?" Ace asks her.

She grits her teeth and slams the War Rig into a higher gear. "It's a detour."

He doesn't say anything more to Furiosa, but doesn't return to his post either. They drive for a few more minutes until someone spots something and calls out.

"Eyes right! Buzzards!" A spotter from the back of the War Rig yells.

The War Boys on the War Rig echo this and call out, "Buzzards right! Eyes on! Eyes on!"

"Should we turn it around and run them into our backup?" Ace asks Furiosa.

She steels her nerves and continues on her path. "No! We're good! We fang it!" She grabs the chain for the horn and gives two short blasts to signal the escort vehicles.

"Thunder up! Here we go!"

XXX

AN: Slightly a cliff hanger, I know, but I wanted to have the first big fight scene as its own chapter instead of breaking it up. Please don't throw things at me… Until next time ;)


	4. Buzzards

AN: Special shout outs to Kalaong and Irishbrneyes, because what can I say? You know the way to my heart is by leaving reviews. Now on to the update ;)

Chapter 3: Buzzards

XXX

River's POV

She feels the Buzzards lurking, circling their prey. Hears their spikes and claws in her mind. Tastes and smells the iron-oxide dust that coats their vehicles. They are carrion-eaters, and want to pick dead flesh from of their bones.

As the skin on the back of her neck pricks up, she senses the teeth lurking nearby. She has to warn Furiosa. She crawls as fast as she can to the hatch in the front of the compartment, but feels a hand tug her leg back away from the door.

"You'll get us all killed." Toast says as she yanks the girl back.

She snarls in response. "She has to be warned!" She says as she kicks her leg out to free it from Toast's grasp.

"We are supposed to stay hidden!" Angharad tries to reason and play peace keeper.

Just as she is about to protest, everyone is slammed into the side of the compartment as the War Rig makes a hard left… undoubtedly to avoid the teeth that she had felt chomping in her mind.

She uses this as her opportunity and makes a quick dash to the compartment and throws it open, the wind from the War Rig's speed whipping the air into a frenzy. But before the others have a chance to stop her she's gone.

XXX

This isn't the first time that Furiosa has dealt with Buzzards. She'd cut her teeth taking down plenty of pursuit vehicles on supply runs. It's what had earned his praise and trust, made her _his_ fearsome warrior. But this is the first time in a very long time that she had the feeling of apprehension and pin pricks of fear along her skin.

As a Buzzard comes up on her left side, she slams the accelerator hold in place and opens the driver side door of the War Rig to fire with Ace at the Buzzard vehicle. They make quick work of the vehicle and it explodes into a fiery ball. The Buzzard vehicle behind doesn't have enough time to make any evasive maneuvers and the fire ball slams into it.

Furiosa breathes a quick sigh of relief as Ace moves to return to the back of the resume fighting the approaching pursuit vehicles.

That relief is short lived when she hears the back floor hatch open and long brown hair whip into the cabin.

XXX

River's POV

Her worry, fear, and anger slam into her as she crawls into the small floor compartment in the back of the cabin.

"I told you to stay out of sight!" Furiosa yells as the girls crawls into the cabin.

"She can help!" She yells back over the wind and sound of metal clashing.

 _"_ _Should have stayed hidden."_ She hears Furiosa think as the older woman hands her a bag of ammunition and small weapons. She knows that she doesn't know about the weapon, but the girl's pride is hurt none the less.

"Reload these and stay out of sight!" Furiosa yells back to her as she hands her an old carpet back full of mismatched weapons and bullets.

XXX

Max's POV

We've cleared the pack behind us and I can see the target in front of us. I watch as we approach the War Rig and the Buzzards fighting to pick it's bones clean. It smells of guzzoline and burnt metal as we get closer.

"She's ours, Slit! She's ours." Half-dead yells behind me. "First, we get the Buzzards off her back!"

"Form up!" Fucker yells from behind the car as he throws an explosive lance into the Buzzard in front of us.

I hear the lance whiz past my ear, just a few inches from my head.

"That's my fuckin' head!" I yell back to him. I know it won't make any difference to the psychotic fuck, but I'm too mad to care. Fucker is too careless.

The lance connects with the car in front of us and half-dead has to swerve to avoid the fiery wreckage. Two more Buzzards come up from behind us.

As one pulls up next to us the gunner from the back of the War Rig shoots a harpoon into the roof of the car. The gunner celebrates hitting his target, but the Buzzard quickly slams into us as it tries to free itself. Half-dead quickly breaks before it can slam back into us, and the movement causes the harpoon to pull the entire rood free of the vehicle.

The passenger of the Buzzard quickly uses a dart gun to shoot at the gunner and I watch as the darts pierce his throat and chest. He's still alive, but struggling.

"Get up! You can do it!" Half-dead yells to the gunner.

I watch in horror as the gunner begins to spare some type of metallic substance into his mouth. A look of kamikaze rage on his face.

"Morsov!" The gunner yells as he grabs two explosive spears.

"Morsov!" Other half-life War Boys yell in unison.

"Witness me!" The gunner says as he stands on the back of the harpoon rig.

The chants of "Witness!" can be heard all around me and I watch as the gunner in sick desperation launches himself from the War Rig into the Buzzard next to us. The lances explode on contact and the shrapnel flies past my face.

"You all are bloody crazy!" I yell at them all. No one hears me, or if they do they ignore me, and the calls of "Witness!" go out across the battlefield again.

With that Buzzard disposed of half-dead begins to steer us up in front of the larger buzzard attempting to tear apart the War Rig with a tractor digger attachment.

"Get ready!" Half-dead yells to the fucker in the back as he steers in front of the digger and the War Rig.

"Back me in!" Fucker calls and I feel the car decelerate so that we are neck and neck with the War Rig.

XXX

River's POV

As she reloads every gun that's in the small carpet bag she feels it… the energy, the electricity, and it's as if time stands still. She sits up from her hiding spot in the back of the cabin and looks out the window and sees _him._

There is no sound, no explosive energy, no battle… nothing exists in the moment that their eyes lock.

And she sees everything. His pain… his scars. The demons and ghosts. It's like a dam breaking and they flood into her with such intensity it takes her breath away.

He's just as broken as her.

XXX

Max's POV

By the time I blink the ghost in my mind in gone, an empty void where her face had been moments before, and I'm left wondering if she was even there.

I don't have long to think about the ghost as I feel the car being slammed forward by the digger behind us and Fucker lands near me on the hood of the car. Before I realize what's going on the car swerves and does a one eighty so that the front of the car is now facing the War Rig and digger. The half-lifes are throwing every grenade and lance they have into the digger to little avail as the jigsaw blades in the front of the digger slam into the driver side of the War Rig.

I watch as a War Boy climbs on top of the digger attachment in the throws a grenade into the hydraulics of the digger. There is a small explosion and I quickly duck my head as the jigsaw takes off the top of two explosive lances in the stand next to me. The sparks from the jigsaw cutting metal ignite the lance heads as they tumble underneath the vehicle and cause the explosive end of the digger. It takes the top of part of the War Rig and a few of the remaining War Boys with it as it flips over into a dusty pile of scrap on the side of the desert.

"Now we bring home the booty." Fucker says as he crawls back to the back of the car just before half-dead spins the car back to drive forward towards the War Rig's driver side.

It's then I see the dust storm that we are driving straight into.

XXX

…On the War Rig…

As the violence ebbs to an end Furiosa can feel her nerves begin to settle, but her pulse is still racing as they head into the storm ahead. She's about to turn and tell the girl to go back to the others when Ace sticks his head in her window.

"Why can't you stop?" Ace asks as he watches her curiously as she continues to drive.

"Out of the way! Out of the way!" Someone yells from outside the cabin.

Ace begins to turn and look at them when he sees something in the back of the cabin, a small brunette he recognizes instantly. His face twists into pure disgust and hatred before he refocuses on Furiosa.

"What have you done? What have you done!" He screams wildly as his hand comes up and latches on to Furiosa's neck.

But before Furiosa can even attempt to peel his hand off there is the sound of a gunshot and Ace's hand quickly loosens its grip as he falls off the rig. Furiosa looks behind her to see the girl holding a small pistol… smoke still coming from the barrel.

Furiosa's too stunned to ask any questions.

"She can help," is all the girl says as she climbs over and straps into the seat next to Furiosa.

Furiosa refocuses on the task at hand and quickly slams into the pursuit vehicle next to her. Her wheel connects with theirs, and it deflates a tire.

XXX

Max' POV

"We need counterweight. Get the Blood Bag down the back." Half-dead yells from the driver's seat.

I feel something yanking on the chain attached to the muzzle on my head and then hear and audible hiss as the metal cuffs around my wrists are disconnected.

"Hunt them down! Hunt them down!" Fucker chants behind me.

But before I have any time to react, I feel myself being dragged to the back of the car. My face slams into the windshield of the car and I get a good look at half-dead.

Next thing I know though I am hurled up over the roof of the car and to the back. My neck is craning against the torque from the chain as a sadistic laugh filters through the wind.

"Hey, head! Say bye-bye to the neck!" Fucker yells to me.

But then I hear half-dead call out. "We're going in Slit!"

Fucker looks up for a moment to see what his driver is talking about and that's when I yank the chain free from him and send him spiraling towards the back of the car. He grabs my leg to keep from falling off the back and I kick him as hard as I can to get him off of me.

One more good kick sends him flying, taking one of my boots with him.

I try to climb into the vehicle to avoid the upcoming storm, but it's no use. Half-dead has closed off the hatch and window. So I am forced to stay on the outside.

XXX

River's POV

The heat from the torch approaching them makes her skin prickle with sweat. She's quick to grab one of the revolvers from the bag behind her. She steals a glance at the approaching vehicle and steadies her breath as she... does the math as Kaylee once put it. One. Inhale. Two. Exhale. Three. Bang, bang, bang. Three dead. Two remaining and three bullets left. She needs to conserve ammo though.

There's one way to do it, but it's risky. She shimmies her way half out of the window and steady her aim.

"Get back in here." Furiosa screams at her as she begins to roll up her window and put her goggles on to prepare for the approaching storm.

She doesn't listen though and closes her eyes. One. Inhale. Two. Exhale. Three. Bang. The bullet connects with the motorcycles front tire and sends it spiraling into the car next to it. They collide and then slam into the back wheels of the War Rig, exploding as the crash ignites the remaining lances on the car.

She quickly gets back into her seat and rolls up the window while grabbing an extra pair of goggles and placing them over her eyes.

XXX

Max's POV

As we enter the storm I am knocked back by the force of the wind around me. The only thing that manages to keep me on the car is the chain that the IV snakes through. I feel something yanking the chain up and I regain my hold on the car. I watch as through the review window as half-dead swerves to catch up to the War Rig.

There are wind cyclones around us and I see the War Rig push the last pursuit vehicle into one. It carries the lightweight car into the air, along with the remaining War Boys from the back of the rig itself. They circle up into the air and the car ignites into a fiery blaze.

We are pulling up next to the War Rig, and half-dead begins to scream something nonsensical as he pulls at the hydraulic tubes feeding guzzoline into the vehicle.

"Oh, what a day! What a lovely day! I am the man...who grabs the sun...riding to Valhalla!" He then sprays the same metallic stuff into his mouth as the kamikaze did earlier. "Witness me...Blood Bag!" He screams as he takes out a flare and lights it.

Fuck. I begin to punch the back window as much as I can hoping to break it and steal the flare from him. I will not go up in a fiery blaze today.

"I live, I die, I live again!" Half-dead screams as I continue to punch the window.

XXX

River's POV

She looks back through the dusty window to see the car still following them, and feels the War Rig begin to swerve to cut it off. Every molecule in her body screams 'no' in unison as she quickly tries to straighten it out.

"NO!" She screams.

"They want me dead!" Furiosa screams as she fights with the girl to regain control.

But Furiosa can barely hear her over the wind whipping around them. "We can't!"

Furiosa manages to turn just enough to clip their car. The girl lets go of the steering wheel and looks back in horror as the car rolls over itself and smashes into pieces. All she can see is a single flare burning behind them in distance as they drive away.

XXX

AN: Dun, dun, dun! Well, we know they aren't dead, because where would the fun in that be? But you will have to wait a little longer for Max and River to meet (yes, I'm evil, but if you hurt me then you won't get the next update) Until next time, stay shiny ;)


	5. Trust

AN: I highly recommend you all look at the Mad Max: Fury Road Graphic novel prequel. It's amazing! I am going to incorporate little bits from that into the story moving forward. Anyways, we are finally going to see Max and River meet. Hope you all enjoy this update!

Chapter 4: Trust

XXX

Max's POV

There's a pounding in my head. Like the beat of the drums that had heralded the pursuit of the War Rig. I lift my head out of the sand and being to shake off the heavy coating of sand on my clothes and in my hair. It's my pulse that's pounding, and as I pull the IV line out of my neck, it returns to it's normal rhythm.

I follow the chain attached to my wrist to the other end… to the dilapidated and broken shell of the car that half-dead was driving. I yank on it and his hand comes up with it. I peel the door back and drag his body out onto the sand. He's still breathing, just out cold.

I try and pry the manacle attached to his hand off. I shake and pry it as much as I can with my hands, but it is no use.

It's then that I see the butt of shotgun just inside the detached door and quickly grab it. I aim it as carefully as I can at his hand and pull the trigger. But instead of the resounding blast that I expect, I only get a fizzle from the firing pin. Damn sand has ruined it.

I resort to trying to bite his fingers off. I cannot get them close enough to my mouth to do so with this muzzle on though. Just my luck that everything in this toxic Wasteland doesn't want to work.

"Fuck!" I yell and let out an exasperated sigh. I hear something close by. The sputtering stall and then the turn over of an engine. I grab one of half-dead's boots and put it on before getting the door and unconscious War Boy situated on my back , while I hold the gun with my one free hand.

I walk towards the sound of the engine and as the dust begins to settle from the storm I see the War Rig.

I cautiously approach the vehicle, and as I come around the back to the other side I am greeted with a sight I did not expect to see. Five young women, using a hose attached to the War Rig to drink water. My throat instantly clenches at the sight and I lick my suddenly very parched lips.

One of them appears to be using bolt cutters to get something off of another one. Something barbed and metal that lands with a thud at their feet. And closer to the front is a woman, presumably the driver, trying to get dust out of the air intake to the War Rig.

But that's not what surprises me the most. In between me and the other group… is a ghost.

XXX

River's POV

As the others wash the grime of the road from their skin and Furiosa works her black finger magic to resurrect the beast from it's dusty coffin, she studied the beast for herself. Her hands trail lightly along its belly as she gleans it history from whispers from ghosts of its past.

"Everyone falls in the end," she says quietly to herself. "At least some few have the dubious satisfaction they leave some small thing behind."

She shakes her mind free of the ghosts and studies the whole. It was a thing of mechanical beauty, a perfect amalgamation, something better than than just its individual parts. Kaylee would have loved it, her fingers would have twitched in excitement to work on something like this.

Granted some of its parts were more creepifying than others. If they had time she would have bashed every dolls' face on the rig. She was never a fan of dolls as a child. They were simple things… mindless. It's no wonder that Rictus enjoyed them, had insisted on placing them along the belly of the beast.

She hears someone approaching from behind her and feel the electricity run down her spine. She smiles and turns to face him. She watches as he dumps the War Boy on his back with a resounding thud. She feels the others startle and take notice of his presence. She hears the water turn off behind her. Hears Angharad's soft voice call out, "We're not going back." She feels the fear and apprehension roll of each one, including him.

He holds up the gun and points it at Angharad. Motions for her to bring the water to him.

"Do as he asks." The girl softly says to the heavily pregnant woman behind her. "He means us no harm."

"Like hell he doesn't. He's a smeg like the rest," Dag says viciously behind her as Angharad walks forward with the hose. But as she gets close to the girl, she holds out a hand and stops her. Angharad looks at her apprehensively, but she simply nods, smiles, and takes the hose from her to take it to him herself.

 _"_ _Since when do ghosts live again?"_ He thinks in his head.

She walks forward and hands him the hose. He doesn't say a word and simply turns it on full blast and guzzles as much as he can. He turns off the hose after a minute and throws it to the ground. He holds the gun at her head and doesn't flinch.

She smiles at him. "She's not Glory. Just lost… like you."

His eyes widen and he quickly pulls her closer and holds the gun to head. She rolls her eyes. Men were such boobs. "You only need to ask," she answers softly so that only he can hear.

"Bolt cutters." He asks aloud. Dag is about to hand them to Furiosa before he stops her. "Ah. You." He says before she can hand them off.

Furiosa begrudgingly nods for her to take them herself, and she walks forwards. As she nears Angharad though, she freezes with fear. "Angharad, is that just the wind...or is that a furious vexation?" She says as both women turn and look at the horizon with fear.

Both of them turn their heads now, and indeed see the furious vexation behind them. They don't have very long to waste, and it sends shiver through their minds.

But before Dag can bring the blot cutters any closer, Furiosa launches herself at the him and catches the girl by the side too.

She yells in frustration as all three tumble to the ground. "Gorramit! He doesn't mean us harm!" But they are too engrossed with fighting each other off to hear her.

The next few minutes are a mass of whirling bodies. As they scrape on the ground, each one throwing heavy hitting blows, the other women and the newly woken War Boy, do their best to help their respective 'team,' so to speak.

The girl huffs in annoyance and moves away from the scuffle towards the side of the War Rig. She extracts the hidden pistol that Furiosa was thinking about making a move for. Everyone else is too busy to notice.

She crosses her arms and watches with mild amusement as the wives use the chain to pull him off of their 'savior', but as he gets close to them he growls and they quickly drop the chain.

The girl moves forward and fires a single shot into the air. Everyone stalls and looks at her in shock.

"We do not have time for this." She says matter of factly as she levies the gun between them all. "We can do this the easy way, and go along on our merry way, or we can wait for them to show up. Which she doesn't advise." She motions to the approaching cars and dust in the distance.

All of their unspoken questions begin to flutter through her brain.

 _"_ _What the hell?"_

 _"_ _Who is this girl?"_

 _"_ _What is happening?"_

 _"_ _Am I dreaming?"_

 _"_ _We're going to the Green Place of Many Mothers."_

She rolls her eyes and sighs. "There isn't enough time to explain. He's coming with us." She says as she motions towards the man in muzzle.

"Like hell blood bag!" The War Boy yells at her now. "He's gonna shred her. And you!"

She sighs, walks forward, and pistol whips the War Boy. He falls to the ground half-unconscious.

"What are you…" Furiosa begins to ask her but is quickly silenced by the pistol turning on her.

"No time. We… " She says as she motions to all of them. "need to leave. We have 2000 horsepower of nitro-boosted war machine. She'd say we have about a five-minute head start. So get in." Still no one moves, everyone glancing between each other, unspoken questions linger in their looks and filter through her mind.

She huffs again and fires another shot in the air. "Yes, I understand, and you do not comprehend. You are going to listen to the crazy girl with the gun. Move." She says as they all begin to walk back towards the driver's cabin. He briefly stoops down to pick up the bolt cutters and cut the chain connecting him to the unconscious War Boy. He also takes his jacket back.

As the girl walks past Furiosa, the older woman glares at her in a way that speaks volumes. _"What's this girl up to?"_ She picks up from her thoughts.

She doesn't have time to giver her the response she wants though. "She knows you have questions, but there isn't a lot of time. She needs you to trust her." She knows it's a tall order. Trust is a precious commodity in this wasteland.

Furiosa narrows her eyes and gives her a curt nod. The girl knows she's walking a very thin line.

XXX

Max's POV

The five women who are dressed the same clamor up into the rig first, each of them crawling into the back of the cabin. The ghost jumps up next and continues to point the gun at everyone depending on how the wind blows. I follow her up as she motions for me. The last one, the one with one arm, climbs in after she puts her prosthetic back on and proceeds to hit hidden kill switches in the cab of the rig.

I watch with mild suspicion as the ghost procures a file and hands it to me. I take it after a moment and stick it into the lock on the side of the muzzle and begin to file. She then turns her attention to the women in the back.

"Pass me the weapons bag, please." She asks them sweetly. No one makes a move.

"Smeg!" The one with the long blonde hair says to her. "I thought you were like us."

Ghost huffs in annoyance. "Subjective. But we can debate semantics later." Again she motions for the bag.

"You don't have to do it just because she tells you." The red head responds.

Another one, one with darker skin responds. "What choice does she have?"

Ghost girl just waits patiently. "Again, he's not going to hurt us." She reiterates.

"How do you know?" The darker girl asks.

The ghost doesn't respond. She opens her mouth like she's going to, but then quickly closes it.

"Think he's coming to the Green Place?" The quiet brunette in the back asks now.

It's the blonde who speaks up again now. "Never! He's a crazy smeg...who eats Schlesinger!"

"ENOUGH!" The ghost yells. "It's getting very crowded in here." She says as she taps the side of her head with the pistol. Girl's off her rocker.

XXX

River's POV

She was trying so hard. Trying to avoid slipping back into the psychosis of a broken girl. Trying to hold it all together. But being this close to the wives… to Furiosa… to him… their sadness and suffering ooze out of them. Their memories and voices invade her brain, and it's starting to take it's toll on her stability.

She understands that they do not comprehend. How could they possibly know she's been down this road before? She knows they'll never stop… _he'll_ never stop. He'll just keep coming until he gets back what they took. What he thinks is rightfully his. That's the problem with men like him… they think they can meddle. That they are doing good work. That they should rule the world.

She wants to make them comprehend. Wants to sing her sad song about a pretty bird in a gilded cage who just wanted to dance. Sing about a bird who flew from her nest and fell from the stars. But how do you tell someone about a bird that they have never seen?

She's contemplating how to make them comprehend when the hair on the back of her neck begins to stand on end. She rolls down the window and scans the horizon to the south.

"Binoculars." She motions to Capable. "What do you see?" She needs someone else to confirm her suspicions that Scrotus has sent aid to his father. Capable hesitates until she snaps her fingers.

As she looks out she takes in a sharp inhale giving away the pin pricks of fear in her voice. "Gas Town Boys."

"What do you see?" Furiosa asks as she glances over her shoulder as she continues to drive.

Now all the wives are glued to the window staring off to the horizon where they can just make out shapes moving towards them.

"Big Rigs...Polecats...Flamers...and there's the People Eater himself." Capable says as she passes the binoculars to Angharad.

She shudders as glimpses of the People Eater from Immortan's memories flash through her brain. He liked to make them suffer. Liked to watch the killing of the Amnesty.

"Coming to count the cost." Angharad replies solemnly.

She opens her mouth to speak, but is interrupted from the grinding of the Big Rig's gears.

"Shit." Furiosa says as she begins to move dials around. "We're dragging something out back. I think it's the fuel pod."

The girl sighs and begins to open the passenger door, but a hand on her shoulder stops her. "No, no. I'll go." He says to her. She smiles softly, and shifts to allow him to climb out of the passenger side door.

XXX

AN: Until next time, stay shiny. ;)


	6. Breathe

AN: And I'm back! Sorry for the bit of a delay, I was at a wedding this past weekend. But now it's time to get back to our unlikely heroes.

Chapter 5: Breathe

XXX

Max's POV

I make my way along the side of the rig until I can walk along the top. I finally feel the last bit of metal give way on the lock holding the muzzle in place. I take the lock out of the clasp and throw it off the side of the rig.

Once I get to the back of the tank, I have to scale down to the bottom to get to the tow hitch. Sure enough the fuel pod has been disconnected and is slowing the rig down. But the link isn't cut or shredded, just disconnected… as if someone did it on purpose. I look back towards the front of the rig and begin to hurry back towards the cab.

XXX

River's POV

She feels their eyes on her. Feels the weight of their questioning glances in her back like daggers. Distrust, contempt, confusion. They hurt all the same.

She pounds her hands against the dash. "Shut up!" She all but screams at them. She whirls at them and pointedly looks them all in the eyes.

"We aren't…" Capable begins to say something before the girl cuts her off.

"You're thinking! It's just as bad."

She feels a click of comprehension in Furiosa's mind, as if one lock pin as been moved in to place. She opens her mouth to say something, but doesn't get the chance when another thought invades her mind… one that's out for blood.

The girl has just enough time to turn back towards the floor hatch and grab the War Boy by the throat and pin him to the seat behind her. The wives scream, but Capable and Toast move to help her restrain him.

"Filth! You traitored him!" He yells in the girl's face.

She feels it spread through the fingertips digging into his jugular, up her arm, and into her brain. Fragmented memories… wandering the Wasteland… loving parents… sickness and sacrifice… small hands hanging on… slipping… up there…Nux. Her eyes start to water. Maybe it was a kinder fate that saved him from the truth, but look at what he's become. Tumor ridden… half-dead… cannon fodder.

Without thinking she puts the gun flush to his head.

"No unnecessary killing!" Angharad yells at her from her left.

"Kill him!" Furiosa yells back as she continues to drive into the canyon. "He wants us dead!"

The girl blinks back her tears and "He's just a kid at the end of his half-life." She says as she takes the gun away from his head. Just a broken kid.

He shakes his head as he disagrees and spits the propaganda vitriol. "No! I live. I die. I live again!"

"Hold him!" She says to Dag and Toast as she begins to bind his hands with the chain of the manacle and one of their wraps. They do as she asks and he struggles against the restraints. It's a good thing Jayne isn't here… he never had any luck tying restraints.

"Throw him out!"

"Chuck him out!"

The wives seem to chant in unison as she climbs back over into the front seat and they hold him in the back. As she sits back into the front seat, the raggedy man appears at the passenger door.

"You got more friends." He says as he motions to the north.

She hadn't been paying attention with all the noise and commotion, and she turns to see he is correct. Furiosa also turns and looks

"Bullet Farmer…They're coming from the Bullet Farm." Furiosa says as they reach the mouth of the canyon.

"Yeah? It's over. You can't defy him." The War Boy says as he leans forward and spits in Furiosa's face. She snarls and spits back at him.

"Just watch us, mate!" Toast says as she slams her elbow into his side and pushes him back against the seat again.

She watches from the front as Nux shakes his head furiously. "No! He is the one...who grabbed the sun." He starts to spout propaganda again.

"Look how slick he's fooled you." Toast says with a laugh.

Dag chimes in. "He's a lying old man."

Nux still shakes his head in disagreement. "By his hand...we'll be lifted up!"

"That's why we have his logo seared on our backs!" Angharad yells.

The other's echo her sentiments. "Breeding Stock!" "Battle Fodder!" "Property!" The others yell at him and begin to push him towards the door to push him out. The girl doesn't stop them.

"No, I am awaited!"

"You're an old man's "Battle Fodder"!" Capable exclaims as she opens the door behind Nux.

"Killing everyone...and everything."

"We're not to blame!" He yells as they dangle him out the door.

It's Angharad that has the final say though. "Then who killed the world?" She screams as she pushes him out and onto the dirt.

They drive in silence. Even their minds are quiet as the enter the canyons and she is thankful for the reprieve.

XXX

As the War Rig drives further into the canyon, Furiosa slows to more of a crawl. "I made a deal up ahead. Safe passage. I don't know if it's still any good." She tells everyone in barely a hushed whisper.

"Get back in the hold. Keep the hatch open." She instructs the wives in the back of the cab.

River moves to follow, but Furiosa's had comes up and stops her. "I need you here. You may have to drive the Rig."

River doesn't say anything but nods and gets into the small crawl space in the back. But as Max makes a move to crawl past her into the hatch, Furiosa stops him.

"You stay. You stay there." Furiosa says as she motions to the crawl space too. She doesn't say anything else, but gives him a look that screams 'I don't trust you around them.' He doesn't argue though and stays put next to River.

"Whatever you do, you can't be seen. I'm supposed to be alone." Furiosa says over her shoulder.

A few more minutes go by in silence as they get closer to the choke point. Furiosa drops the rig into a lower gear and continues past the rock archway.

"Hey. What's your name? What do I call you?" Furiosa asks in a whisper.

She's asking River, but she doesn't answer.

"Does it matter?" River asks suspiciously.

Furiosa's annoyed by this. "Fine. When I yell "fool"...you drive out of here as fast as you can." She then begins to touch the kill switches in order. "This is the sequence: One. One, two. One. Red. Black. Go. You have it?"

Both River and Max nod affirmatively.

XXX

Max's POV

There isn't much room in the small crawl space, and I'm wedged up against the ghost, who's hardly a ghost at all. Her bare arm barely rests against mine, as if she's afraid of touching me, but I can still feel the heat radiating from her skin.

She doesn't look much older than the rest, but her eyes give her away. Hardened…aged. Her eyes remind me of her. She could have been her twin. I shake my head and focus on something other than those memories.

The ghost isn't dressed like the others, her edges are sharp… lean. Her skin pale with a slightly sallow tint. She's wearing a tattered dress that could have been blue in a other life. Her arms are uncovered, and there are a few pin pricks along both arms; one of them still looks swollen and red, while the others are scabbed over.

"Blood bag." She says so only I can hear.

I don't say anything, but nod. Explains her color and the marks. But how did she know what I was thinking?

I don't have time to think about it though, because a moment later the rig finally comes to a complete stop. I hear the driver's door open and the one armed woman jumps to the ground.

"It's all here! Three thousand gallons of guzzoline, just like you asked!" I hear her yell into the canyon before her footsteps start to grow fainter as she walks towards the back of the rig. "I'm gonna unhitch the pod. You drop the rocks."

A voice echoes through the canyon. "You said: 'A few vehicles in pursuit. Maybe.' We count three War Parties!"

"Let's do this!" The woman calls back into the canyon.

Everything is silent. The ghost and I both dare not breath. But a moment later I feel her tense, and hear a muffled scream rip through the canyon… from the compartment in the back.

XXX

River's POV

No, no, no. It's too early. It shouldn't have happened for another two weeks! Shouldn't be here. It never goes smooth, why does it never go smooth?

She hears Furiosa yell now. "Fool!" And the next instant the air is filled with gunfire.

"You drive." The girl says as she crawls towards the hidden compartment.

The rig is moving before she gets there, and the wives are hauling Furiosa up through the trap door in the floor. They's almost got her up when a hand snakes up and tries to pull her back down. The wives are losing their grip on her, and the girl crawls as fast as she can to help them.

With one swift yank she's in the compartment, and with one swift bullet the Buzzard falls back through and is crushed underneath the rig's wheels.

"Thanks." Furiosa says before she and the girl both turn towards a blood curdling scream, the same source of the scream earlier.

"It's coming… the baby." Angharad says between pained breaths.

"You go, she can take care of this." She says to Furiosa, who nods and moves back towards the front of the rig.

"You two come with me." Furiosa says to Dag and Toast. Capable and Cheedo were at Angharad's side, holding her hands and whispering to her to try and calm her.

The girl close the trap door and then moves to sit in front of Angharad. She thanks her lucky stars that she was present for Petaline's birth. She takes a breath and reminds herself she can get Angharad through this.

"She needs your wrap." The girl says to Cheedo, who quickly takes it off and hands it to the girl.

"Prop her up, try to help her relax." She instructs the two women. She wishes she had a med kit right now to give Angharad a smoother, because it was going to hurt.

Another scream rips through Angharad and her body shakes. Thoughts of pain and worry flood in to the girl's brain from Capable and Cheedo, and she tries desperately to push them aside and concentrate.

The girl gently moves Angharad's legs apart. The baby isn't crowning yet, but it was going to happen soon. "You can get through this… be strong."

XXX

As the three War Parties approach the canyon, the Buzzard must make a quick decision… let them pass or go after the fuel. He glances back at the War Parties and then signals the detonation.

"That's our fuel!" He says to his companion before they set off down the rocky terrain towards the lumbering War Rig.

XXX

Three cars were lost when the rocks collapsed in the pass. The remaining War Parties were now bottled-necked at the impasse.

"Come on! Move them! Make way for the Ripsaw!" The Imperators were doing their best to make a path for Ripsaw… Rictus' rock crawler, and screaming at everyone to move towards the side.

As Rictus pulls up next to the Gigahorse, Immortan Joe's vehicle, Immortan Joe climbs aboard.

Immortan Joe turns to the Imperators clearing the way. "Once I'm over...clear the rocks and bring everyone through." He says as Ripsaw begins to climb over the rocks.

"Immortan! Immortan Joe!" An Imperator screams from the back. Immortan has them stop the vehicle and turns to see what the Imperator wants.

"I got a War Boy! Says he was on the War Rig." The Imperator says as he presents Nux, who holds up the cloth that had been used to bind his arms. Immortan Joe recognizes it from the wives.

"You! Climb aboard!" Immortal Joe instructs the War Boy, and after he is hauled up they continue to climb over the rocks blocking the path.

XXX

The People Eater and the Bullet Farmer sit back in their vehicles and watch the War Boys clearing the rocks in front of them. Both are annoyed. Both have been with Immortan Joe from the very beginning… Back when he was still Colonel Joe Moore. But even they are losing patience with his actions.

"Fuk-ushima! All this for a family squabble." The Bullet Farmer says in disgust. "Colonel should know better by now. Healthy babies, tsk." He spits the worst out like they are dirty and polluting his mouth.

The People Eater just rolls his eyes. Of the two, the People Eater was always the quiet one.

XXX

Max's POV

I'm throwing the rig into third gear when the older one crawls back into the cab through the hatch. The ghost girl had lefts the weapons in the front seat of the rig, and I hand her a shotgun once she gets to the front. She gives me a look of unspoken understanding, a truce, and checks to see that the shotgun is loaded. Two of the others follow shortly behind her.

"When I hand you a gun you reload it and hand it back." She tells the two in the back seat. They nod their understanding.

As we make it to a small valley in the canyon, I see at least six motorbikes with Buzzards coming down from the hills. I grab a gun from the seat next to me and release the safety.

One of the motorbikes crosses in front of the rig path now and throws a molotov behind him. It hits the front plow of the rig and explodes with a fiery bang. The top of the engine hood has flames dancing around the air intake, and soon two more motorbikes ride up and use the nearby hills to fly in front of the rig and drop more molotovs.

I fire at one of the bikers and manage to take him down. The woman leans over and activates the plow, which sprays dirt up and douses the flames. She quickly aims the shotgun at the next biker attempting to drop a molotov and connects. She hands the shotgun to the women in the back to reload.

As the plow retracts, she stands up next to me on the seat and slides open the top hatch, taking aim with the rifle. Bang. Bang. The rifle fires, and I see one rider fall in the side mirror. To my left I see another rider attempting to jump the front of the rig again and quickly fire at him. Three shots later he falls to the ground and we leave him in our dust.

XXX

River's POV

Worry. Fear. Pain. They flood her brain and make it hard for her to focus. She's hanging on by a thread. The sound of explosions and bullets echo on the metallic walls of the hold. She needs to calm them if she's going to get though this.

"Just breathe." She says as she slowly rubs Angharad's legs and tries to will her to keep calm.

"You can do this Angharad." Capable coos to her while wiping sweat away from Angharad's face, and Cheedo holds her hand.

Tears stream down Angharad's face. "I can't."

"Yes you can." The girl says sternly. But as the worry of what this baby will be flows into her from Angharad's mind, she softens. "Your baby will not be a Warlord. Your baby will be beautiful, because you are beautiful…and brave. She promises. Now push."

Angharad lets out a scream as she pushes. She lasts for a few moments before she falls back against Capable and Cheedo.

"You're doing great Angharad." She tells the worn out woman. "Just breathe." but she isn't sure she's telling that to Angharad… or herself.

XXX

Max's POV

Two more times the rifle fires, and after the second an empty bike falls on to the hood of the rig before sliding off to the side. The woman ducks back inside and passes the rifle to the back.

"Reload the clip." She says hurriedly as she grabs the shotgun and fires out the passenger side window.

She stands out of the top hatch again. "Gun! Gimme the gun!" She yells as she grabs frantically for any type of weapon.

The blonde behind me is struggling with it though. "It's not loaded yet!"

She ducks back down into the cab. "Now!" The sound of gunfire can be heard on the top of the rig andI don't wait for them to hand her the gun. I turn and fire through the back window, glass shattering around them, and hit the Buzzard on the back dead on in the head.

There is just one more biker close enough to do any damage, and as the woman grabs the last gun loaded, a flare gun, I shoot out the back passenger window so she can make that flare count. She hits him dead on and causes him to fall at the side of the rig, but his bike and molotov go under the wheels.

The entire rig shakes from the explosion, and as we all look back, we see the fuel pod disconnect and veer off to the left before it crashes into the rocks nearby and explore. The Buzzards won't follow us now that their bounty is gone. But any relief that I had felt is short lived when I see another vehicle emerge from the smoke of the fuel pod's crash.

"Look." I motion to the others and they all turn to see we are still being followed. The rock slide hadn't stopped all of them, and they are using a flame thrower wildly.

The flame thrower stops after a moment though, and shots begin to be fired. Everyone in the cab ducks down as the woman next to me reloads a revolver.

But before she has the chance to turn and fire, the two women in the back open the door and move so that they form a human shield of sorts.

"Get back in the cab!" I scream at them as I continue to drive, but they don't listen, and the sound of gunfire dies out.

A howling scream can be heard in the vehicle behind us. "That's my child! My property!" The driver, who I presume to be Impotent Joe, or whatever the fuck he is called. I don't get a good look at him but he sounds like a horse's ass.

A single shot rings out now, and I look over to see it was the woman next to me who fired. I kick the rig into a higher gear and push it to gain some distance on the pursuing vehicle. The women behind me don't get back in the cab until we are out of firing range.

XXX

AN: I never really understood why Angharad would scream/ moan in the movie, so this made more sense for me. Hope you all enjoyed this update! Until next time, stay shiny ;)


	7. Mourning

AN: Sorry for the delay in updating, I got busy with real-life stuff. Irishbrneyes, Chibiboku, Kalaong, and Rainbor123 thank you for the shiny and chrome reviews. Now on with this update!

Chapter 6: Mourning

XXX

The Ripsaw falls back behind the rig and Immortan Joe pounds furiously on the steering wheel. As he continues to drive, the War Boy who was on the rig comes up to the driver's side window.

"Immortan. If I get on the Rig, there's a way inside." He says quickly.

Immortan Joe looks over and studies the War Boy. "What is your name?"

"It's Nux." He says while bowing his head. "I'll pike her in the spine. Keep her breathing for you." He says as he holds up an ice pick in his left hand to show Immortan Joe his seriousness.

"No. Put a bullet in her skull. Stop the Rig, return my treasures to me...and I, myself, will carry you...to the Gates...of Valhalla." Immortan Joe says as he hands the boy one of his shiny chrome revolvers.

Nun's eyes go wide with all that he has been told. "Am I awaited?" He asks reverently.

"You will ride eternal...shiny and chrome." Immortan Joe responds while spraying the metallic substance on to the boys mouth. Nux looks as if he could cry he's so happy.

"Rictus! Help him aboard!" Immortan calls to Rictus in the back.

Nux moves to the back of the Ripsaw and Rictus grabs him by his trousers. "Ready?" Rictus asks. Nux nods he is. "Here we go!" Rictus says as he throws the War Boy on to the back of the rig.

Immortan Joe watches as the War Boy lands on the back of the rig. As the War Boy begins to run to the front though, the chain attached to his hand catches on the metal grating, sending him flying over the side of the rig… the pistol falling to the ground below.

"Aah! Mediocre!" Immortan Joe yells as he drives ahead.

XXX

River's POV

"You're almost there. One more push and the head will be out." The girl says to Angharad as the baby's head begins to crown.

Capable and Cheedo each hold one of Angharad's hands, their hands going white as she squeezes tightly and pushes. She can see the baby's head.

"You're almost there. Just a little longer." The girl says as she gets ready to catch the newborn.

Tears stream down Angharad's face. "I can't." She says between sobs.

"Come on Angharad, you can do this." Cheedo says next to her.

Capable wipes sweat and tears from Angharad's face. "It's almost over."

XXX

Max's POV

I'm struggling to get the rig into the next gear with all the twists of the road. I hear the engine of the car in pursuit rev and look out the passenger side. It's coming up fast, and uses the small rocky hill next to the road to jump in front of the rig.

It doesn't stay there for long and begins to slow to get next to the driver side. We start to fire at the vehicle, and manage to take out one of the men on the back, but our shots ricochet off the car and don't hit the driver. The car slows again, and before I realize what's happened, the harpoon gun from the other vehicle has embedded itself into the dash of the rig, through the steering wheel.

I fight to maintain my grip on the wheel, but with the next curve the torque of the harpoon snaps it off, and my hand catches in the wheel as it gets stuck on the door.

The one armed woman tries to help me pull the wheel off of the door to no avail, and the two in the back open the back door. I watch as the darker one gets out of the vehicle and the blonde passes her the bolt cutters. She steadies herself on the edge of the rig, but it takes both of them to cut through the harpoon chain.

The steering wheel falls away with the rest of the harpoon when they cut the chain, and the one armed woman is quick to secure a wrench to the drive shaft so that we can still steer.

But as we both look up, we are headed straight for a boulder, and the woman in the back is still dangling out of the cab. It takes everything we have to steer the rig enough so that we just graze the rocks, and as we pass them I look back hoping that she managed to avoid them.

As the dust settles, her face peaks from around the corner of the rig, and I give her a small thumbs up before turning my attention back to the road.

But as the other girl re-opens the door for her to re-enter the cab, I hear the unmistakable snap of rusted metal, and turn in horror as the door falls away from the cab, along with the blonde.

"NO!" The one outside the cab yells frantically as she manages to catch the other one by the arm. But the momentum of her fall is too great, and they are both pulled away from the rig.

I watch in horror as they both go under the wheels of the car behind us before it swerves to avoid them and rolls over and crashes. I don't stop.

The woman next to me already has tears running down her face. "Did you see it?" She asks solemnly.

"They went under the wheels." I say without slowing down. She doesn't need me to tell her twice and sits back in her seat.

XXX

River's POV

With one final scream and one final push, the rest of the baby follows. The girl catches the baby as it slips out, gently patting its back and letting the fluid drain from it's mouth. After a moment, it announces it's presence with a shrill cry.

The moment the baby's cry is heard tears spring to her eyes. "Congratulations. A boy." She says as she cleans the baby the best she can before moving to lay the baby against Angharad's skin.

Angharad is crying, but they are no longer tears of pain… they are of joy, and the two others are quick to follow suit.

Capable kisses Angharad's head. "You did it Angharad."

"He's beautiful, just like you." Cheedo coos softly.

But as she backs away to give the three women room, she feels it. Feels the dread and sorrow… feels the aching pain in their broken bodies. Her pulse begins to race and she quickly crawls back to the front of the rig. To the now empty back seat.

Images of Jessie, Sprog, and Glory flood her mind… their pain… along with the agony that Dag and Toast are feeling as they slowly slip away invade her senses. It's too much. She needs to get out. Needs to breathe.

As the exit the canyon onto the plains she finally speaks up. "We need to stop." The girl says as she chokes back tears.

No one says anything though, and he doesn't stop. She grabs one of the remaining pistols with ammo still in the barrel and points it at his head. "We need to stop!"

He holds his hands up in surrender and slowly downshifts the rig and brings it to a stop. She's quick to jump through the gaping whole where the door had been. As her feet touch the sand her knees buckle and she falls over on to her hands. She throws up shortly after.

XXX

Max's POV

The one armed woman grabs a canister of water from the back of the cab and exits the rig to add water to the now steaming engine. I watch as she leaves and then look back at the ghost. She's doubled over and puking into the sand. Her entire body seems to shake. I open the door and jump down to walk over to her. She's still throwing up when I get to her, and I gather up her matted hair away from her face.

"What's going on." A voice calls from the cab behind me.

I turn and see the redhead and brunette; looks of worry plastered on their faces.

"Where are the others?" The redhead asks as she looks around for the missing women.

The one-armed woman walks to the driver's side. "Gone." She says simply.

"What?" The two women exclaim as one of them rushes back into the cab, and presumably to fetch the other one. "What do you mean gone?" The redhead asks as she jumps down from the rig.

The questions seem to aggravate the ghost, and she throws up again.

"I'm sorry." The one-armed woman says as her arm snake around the redhead and pull her into a tight embrace as the redhead lets out a loud wail.

"No…no." A weak voice from the cab calls out.

I look up and see the other blonde, tears streaming down her face, holding a small bundle in her arms that's wailing itself. The brunette is crying into her shoulder loudly.

I'm surrounded by crying women who just lost two of their friends… and I have no clue what I'm supposed to do.

XXX

River's POV

The sun is setting in the West as they continue on. Furiosa sits in the passenger seat going through the last of the ammo, as the girl drives. The raggedy man sits in the middle of them, while the three wives are in the back with the baby.

They drive in silence… mourning quietly for their fallen. The only sounds that fill the cab are the soft noises of the baby in Angharad's arms and the dirt beneath the War Rig's wheels. Even their minds are silent, with the exception of her own.

She cannot help but think that their blood is on her hands. That she could have saved them… that she should have been there. What use was it being a weapon if she couldn't save them? A few tears still stream down her face, and she wipes them away.

Furiosa is the first to speak. "We've got four rounds left for the rifle." She says as she tucks it behind her and in the back seat, before grabbing her tools. "I'm gonna go and do some repairs."

"We need someone down the back." Furiosa says as she opens the door.

She means he should be down in the back, but it's Capable that answers. "I'll go."

"No. I want you to stay together." Furiosa objects.

But the girl knows that Capable just needs to be alone. "She can do it." She says and glances over her shoulder. Capable gives her a small smile before climbing out the side towards the back.

XXX

Capable walks to the back of the rig slowly, holding on to anything that looks sturdy to steady herself as she goes. When she gets to the back turret mount, she sits down and raises the binoculars that hang around her head and looks back into the distance for any sign of the furious vexation. All she sees is sand.

She hears something next to her and turns to her right. She's startled at first to see the War Boy they threw out earlier. But the murderous look from earlier is long gone, replaced by one of despair. It looks as if he's been crying.

"What are you doing here?" She asks softly.

"He saw it. He saw it all…My own Blood Bag driving the Rig that killed them." The War Boy responds before starting to bash his head against the metal grating he's laying on.

"Stop doing that." Capable says as she reaches out to still his head. "Shh. Shh, shh, shh. Stop." He finally seems to settle a little.

"Three times the gates were open to me." The War Boy says out loud, but more to himself.

Capable looks quizzically at him. "What gates?"

"I was awaited in Valhalla. They were calling my name. I should be walking with the Immorta. McFeasting with the heroes of all time."

Capable sighs. She knows all of Joe's propaganda, and knows how he twists it to use people. She leans down so she is laying down face to face with him. "I'd say it was your manifest destiny not to."

"I thought I was being spared for something great. I got to drive a pursuit vehicle…For a while even Larry and Barry stopped chewing on my windpipe." The War Boy says with a small chuckle.

"Who are Larry and Barry?"

"My mates. Larry and Barry." The War Boy says as he touches two protruding tumors on his neck, each with a small smiley face on them. "If they don't get me, then the Night Fevers will."

Capable's heart breaks just a little for the broken War Boy and she touches his cheek lightly.

XXX

AN: So anyone want to throw baby names out? Leave suggestions in your review, because I'm still having trouble finding a good one. Until next time, stay shiny. ;)


	8. Just an object

AN: Since we have now veered from the movie's plot, I will put a disclaimer that this chapter is going to vaguely reference something that happened in the prequel graphic novel, and I would recommend looking up Angharad's backstory.

Chapter 7: Just an object

XXX

River's POV

They continue on as dusk sets on the plains. The clouds cover the small sliver of moon that hangs in the sky, and obscures their visibility. Furiosa is still doing repairs down below as the wives sleep in their seats. The raggedy man has switched with the girl and is driving, while she holds Eurion, Angharad's baby, in her lap. Eurion, gold in Welsh, like the color of the baby's eyes. It was a perfect name.

As she looks from the sleeping baby in her arms, she can hear the sleeping woman in the back seat who's heart is so conflicted.

 _"_ _I didn't want it."_ Angharad's slumbering thoughts drift into the girl's mind. _"I tried to get rid of you. How could I have been so afraid of something so small? So innocent?"_ The girl's heart aches for Angharad.

"So, um, ahem…" The raggedy man clears his throat. "Where is this… this Green Place?" He quietly asks her.

She looks at him. "It's a long night's run, heading east." She lies mindlessly. But a small reflection a short distance away catches her attention.

"Stop." She says forcefully as she sit up in her seat. She feels the raggedy man look over at her, but she doesn't take her eyes of the spot where she saw the small flash.

He downshifts the rig and it crawls to a stop. The women in the back seat begin to stir and the girl quickly hands the baby to a still sleepy Angharad before jumping out. Her feet land with a thud on the ground and she takes off into the night. She feels the confusion behind her, hears the pad of his footsteps, but her mind is consumed by the twisted metal that had caught her eye.

XXX

Max's POV

I followed her towards the wreckage of, well, I didn't know exactly what to call it. It was some type of vehicle, but unlike anything I had ever seen. It was almost as big as the rig, but had no visible wheels. Not that you could really tell if it was supposed to have wheels, the thing looked like it had been stripped bare of anything important or useful.

As I get closer, I see her pry some type of door open and dart inside. I turn and see the other women wandering closer, but warily keeping their distance. Inside, I hear the sounds of metal hitting metal, like someone looking for something underneath the wreckage.

I tentatively take a step inside and duck below the low hanging wires and other bits hanging from the ceiling. It's dark inside, but small holes of light peak through the side of the walls from where metal has been stripped away by looters. Something moves around in front of me and I squint to make out what. The soft mumbling of nonsensical words and whats sounds like something else tells me it's the girl.

"Should be here… always had one… failsafe… _duh liou mahng_ …where is it?"

I take a few more steps forward and bus more wires away from my view, and see her half underneath some type of console. Her foot taps nervously on the ground as more bits of metal come flying out from underneath.

The more I look around the small area though, the more confused I get. But my thoughts are quickly interrupted by the one of her voice.

"An Endo/Exo-Atmospheric Shuttle… capable of breaking atmo… standard version a part of the 03-K64-Firefly." She says from under the console, her voice becoming slightly more frantic.

There is an electrical hiss as she pulls something out from underneath the console and emerges shortly after. She turns it over in her hands as if willing something to happen. She glances down at the object, her hair cascading in front of her face… she looks so much like a ghost, and their voices trickle into my brain.

 _"_ _Where are you, Max?"_

 _"_ _Where are you?"_

 _"_ _Help us. You promised to help us."_

 _"_ _Help… her."_

XXX

River's POV

 _"_ _Just an object. It doesn't mean what you think..."_ her voice echoes in her mind.

She feels the salty tears slowly from in her eyes. Feels them trail down her cheeks. She's never felt so alone, and it was all her fault.

"Captain Daddy said he would always find me. She was their witch… and now she's just broken." She says as she turns the pulse beacon over in her hands.

The river of tears are streaming down her face when she unknowingly throws her arms around him as if he's some type of anchor in the storm of her mind. When she looks at him, his expression still unreadable but his thoughts a flurry.

 _"_ _Ghosts… broken promises…guilt."_ It was like looking in a mirror.

She realizes her mistake quickly, and takes a step backward, afraid of what her proximity could stir in her mind… or his. Momentary weakness. You don't touch without permission. She should know better. She nervously plays with the pulse beacon in her hands and looks down averting her face from his. But after what feels like an eternity of silence, his rough hand comes to rest under her chin and tilts it up. His fingertips are calloused, but to her its like soft feathers. Her breath catches in her throat as their eyes meet.

"If you can't fix what's broken, you'll, uh...You'll go insane." He says to her in a hushed voice.

Her mind reeks with cackling laughter. If only he knew how insane she was. But she doesn't say anything, she simply lets his words hang in the silence between them. Now it's almost as if his fingertips are on fire, stoking the flame in the pit of her stomach. He looks like he wants to ask her something… his mouth about to speak when a voice calls to them both.

"Furiosa wants to get moving again." Capable says from the door.

He quickly drops his hand from her chin and turns to leave. But she can still feel his fingertips on his skin. She lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding and quickly follows suit. But not before shoving broken pulse beacon into the side of her boot. A reminder of past mistakes.

XXX

Max's POV

He doesn't know why he did it. Why he felt compelled to tell her those words. But there was just something uncomfortably familiar about her in that moment. It was like looking at a broken piece of mirror reflecting him before… before _they_ died.

This world was broken, but for some reason he didn't want to see her break any more than she already had. There was an innocence still buried in the depths of her eyes that he wanted to protect.

 _"_ _Help… her Max."_

 _"_ _Help her."_

He shakes his head violently to dislodges the figments in his mind. Hears her soft footsteps in the sand behind him. No one asks anything as they climb back into the rig, but Furiosa throws him a questioning glance.

The only response she gets though is a small shrug of his shoulders.

XXX

River's POV

"Checking for supplies." She says as Furiosa's gaze turns from the raggedy man to her when she hops back up into the rig. "Bone dry." She offers up quickly before the older woman can prod any further.

No one else asks anything more as Furiosa throws the rig into gear and they continue driving in to the night. But that doesn't mean their minds are quiet. No, she hears them all loud and clear… questioning who the girl really is, or more correctly what she's capable of doing.

But she can't think about that… their thoughts now. They were getting closer. Closer to the rotten quagmire, and she needed to mentally prepare.

XXX

… Elsewhere in the Verse…

Apart from the hum of Serenity, it was quiet on the bridge of Serenity as Mal disconnects the wave from Fanty and Mango. But ever since River had up and disappeared, everything had been quiet. The tension however, was thick enough to cut with one of Jayne's knives.

Simon and Mal didn't talk unless there was some doctoring to do on Simon's part. Mal had grown tired of the unspoken words the Doctor seemed to be glaring at him any chance he got. As if Mal hadn't done everything he could to look for River over the past few months. But the Doctor's impatience was wearing thin on the Captain… and they were running low on fuel and credits to keep Serenity in the air.

Mal walks from the bridge to the kitchen where the rest of the crew were eating dinner. "Wash set course for Beaumonde after you finishing eating."

"Sir?" Zoe asks as a way of getting further explanation.

Mal's request is met with a few questioning looks from his crew. "Fanty and Mango have a job for us."

It's this comment that breaks the tension, and Simon immediately jumps up from his seat and glare at the Captain. "We can't stop looking."

"Have to, need the credits and the fuel." Mal says as he returns Simon's glare with one of his own.

"And I need to get paid." Jayne says as he shovels protein into his mouth.

"Jayne." Inara hisses at him for his callousness.

"What? Just saying is all." He continues with food in his mouth.

Simon looks more frantic now. "But we can't leave, what if…" But Mal cuts him off before he can protest any further.

"Your sister has run off Doc, we may never find her and unless she wants to be found we probably wont."

"We're just gonna turn around and leave? Leave one of the crew behind?" Kaylee asks Mal now.

Mal winces at her words and Zoe chimes in. "Sir, there was a time we would never have left anyone behind."

"This ain't the war Zoe." Jayne says between another bite.

"She's just a child for god's sake." Wash says as he grows frustrated with the merc's attitude.

And it seems everyone is up in arms over the discussion of moving on. Mal pinches the bridge of his nose as everyone starts yelling around him. It's only when Jayne and Simon begin throwing out physical threats that Mal's eyes snap open and he pounds his fists on the table effectively silencing everyone.

"This ain't up for discussion no more!" Mal yells. "We got mouths to feed and ship to keep flying. We spent as much time as we could lookin' for River, but unless something miraculous happens, we…"

But Mal is effectively silenced as one of the alarms form the bridge kicks on and echoes throughout Serenity.

"Kaylee what the hell is that?" Mal asks in confusion as he looks at the mechanic.

"Wash and I rigged an alarm, so if the shuttle…" And Kaylee's eyes go wide as she runs out of the kitchen and towards the bridge, the rest of the crew following hot on her heels.

XXX

AN: I am so sorry it's taken me forever to update this story. I 1) lost my motivation because my thesis sucked all energy out of me, and 2) the last part of this chapter stumped me for the longest time. Anyways, hope you all enjoyed! Until next time, stay shiny ;)

Translations:

duh liou mahng - sonofabitch


	9. High Ground

AN: I am definitely back into the wing of things with this story now! Yeah! Thank you Chibiboku, Carolina.H.S., Shenandoah76209, and Kalaong for the shiny reviews.

On an IRL note: I am working on my MA thesis research on Facebook features and I am collecting data via survey. If anyone would mind taking it, I would greatly appreciate it. You can find it at survey monkey. Just enter /r/L76M3GN after the normal web address.

Now on with the update!

Chapter 8: High ground

XXX

…Serenity…

Kaylee made a mad dash through the upper hallway of Serenity to the bridge. The crew was practically stampeding over one another as they follow her. When she manages to get up the stairs and through the doorway she quickly turns her attention to the small alarm emitting the piercing blare throughout Serenity.

"Knew this thing would come in handy one day." Kaylee says as the blare is killed and she begins fiddling with the sensors. As Wash pushes his way past the others, he quickly begins adjusting the Nav system.

"Kaylee can you boost it?" Wash asks as he tries to get a clear read. Kaylee quickly darts over to one of the other consoles on the bridge and ducks under.

"You two want to tell us what that was all about?" Mal asks as he watches the mechanic and pilot work.

Neither one of them turn to look at him as they continue with their work. "It's the pulse beacon. From the shuttle. Was the only original signature we could try and find." Kaylee says as she emerges from underneath the console.

"We tied it to the proximity sensors through the call button I rigged after the fire." Wash finishes as the Nav Sat map comes up on the holographic screen on the front of the bridge.

A small blinking light showing a location in the middle of no where past all known Red Sun systems. It was the opposite direction from where they had been searching. Instead of going towards Red Sun, towards other known planets, it appeared that River had taken the shuttle towards the ouster edge.

"And you two are sure that's her shuttle? No way it could be someone else?" Mal asks as he studies the screen.

"No chance Cap'n." Kaylee says with hope in her voice. "Each pulse beacon is encoded for one specific frequency. It's her."

Simon is clearly tense as studies the map. "Are we in range?"

Wash studies the location and checks the fuel gauges. "We'll push it on the fuel, but should be able to get there and back to Salisbury before we run dry."

"How long?" Mal asks Wash.

"Day or two at most." Wash answers back quickly.

Mal nods. "Chart a course."

XXX

River's POV

They sat in silence in the rig. The three wives in the back with the baby. The girl sandwiched between Furiosa driving and Max in the passenger seat. She could feel one other mind in the back, and Capable's thoughts about the lone War Boy confirmed who it belonged to. But she also knew she didn't need to worry. He knew his place, and it wasn't with Immortan Joe any longer.

But it wasn't their thoughts she was trying to keep from clawing their way inside her head. No, it was the ones from out there. The one's buried in shallow graves in rotting soil. Those are the ones she's trying in vain to block out.

Their voices itch in her brain. They whisper all their secrets to her. They say everything and nothing, all at once. Her hand moves to the side of her head and she drags her nails down her scalp, as if it will keep them at bay. She doesn't even realize she's drawing blood until sticky little half moons are underneath her fingernails.

"Slow down." She says as balls her hands into fists.

Furiosa looks at her skeptically. "Why?" She ask without slowing down.

But it doesn't matter at that point, she can already feel the front wheels beginning to sink and the rig begins to sway as the wheels catch in the muck.

As Furiosa brings the rig to a lower gear, the girl feels them sink in deeper.

"Dammit." Furiosa says as she opens the driver side door.

The raggedy man does the same and all of the wives but Angharad jump out of the side. The girl stays in the rig and slides into the driver's seat.

"Ditch the spare tires and get the engine plates for traction. We need to cut weight." Furiosa says quickly as she jogs to the back of the rig. The Raggedy man quickly starts work on the engine plates as the wives go to help Furiosa. After a minute she jumps out of the rig, taking a few of the spear explosives left over from the earlier pursuit with her.

XXX

The Furious Fixation came to a screeching halt as the two lead cars exploded, causing everyone behind them to brake suddenly. It also caused the wheels of the cars to sink into the wet ground.

Immortan Joe was not happy as he took in the scene in front of him. His War Boys were trying in vain to push their cars out of the muck to no avail. His eye's narrowed into slits and his hands became fists as he took it all in. The voice of the People Eater did nothing to help either.

"We are down 30,000 units of guzzoline...19 canisters of nitro,12 assault bikes..seven pursuit vehicles. The deficit mounts. And now, sir...you have us stuck in a quagmire." The people eater says from his vehicle next to Joe's.

Immortan Joe merely raises a hand to dismiss the fat man and continues looking in front. But the Organic Mechanic's voice calls to him from inside the giga horse.

"Hey, Joe! Boss!"

Joe ducks his head inside the cab.

"Your girly's breathing her last!" He says as Dag's body is laid out before them.

They had picked both Dag and Toast's bodies after they had fallen. But Joe had been quick to put a bullet in Toast's head. He had no more use for her. Dag on the other hand, provided him an opportunity to see whether Splendid's baby might be normal. Dag's breathing was labored, and it was clear she was on death's door.

"What about the child?" Joe asks.

"Too soon to take it out. Wouldn't survive if I did."

The rumble of the tank signals the Bullet Farmer's approach. "Are you coming, brother?" He calls to Joe as it pulls up on the other side of the Giga Horse.

"Wait!" Joe calls out before turning his attention back to the organic mechanic. "Get it out. I need to see if the other could be viable." The organic mechanic merely nods and begins slicing into Dag's belly.

"Come on! I've been called to the torture!" The Bullet Farmer calls in irritation.

"Patience!" Joe screams as he watches the Organic Mechanic work.

"Oh, you stay here with your grief, Daddy. I'll fetch them for you."

"Be careful! Protect the assets!" The people eater screams.

"Just one angry shot...for Furiosa." The Bullet Farmer says as he takes a bullet from his false set of teeth and loads it into his gun.

Joe watches as the Bullet Farmer trudges on ahead, his tank gliding over the muck of the land with ease.

"Crying shame. Heh. Another four months...could have been your viable human!"

"Was it a male?" Joe asks as he looks at the two lifeless bodies in front of him

"Your A-1 Alpha prime male." The Organic Mechanic says as he plays with the umbilical cord he cuts off.

Immortan Joe stands no and gazes into the darkened horizon. His resolve to get his property back burning with renewed intensity.

XXX

River's POV

They managed to continue on for another ten minutes or so before getting stuck again. Furiosa, Max, Capable, and Cheedo all jumping out to repeat the process.

But she hesitates before leaving. She feels his mind coming up from the back now. Doesn't bother to turn around as Angharad lets out a small gasp as the War Boy pops up from the back. She does point a gun square in his face though, and he doesn't move.

As if he can feel the tension, Euiron starts to fuss in Angharad's arms making soft wails.

The girl turns to face him and looks him coldly in the eyes.

He visibly gulps under the intensity of her glare. "I want to help." He says weakly.

"If you hurt them she will kill you." She says as she holsters the pistol as a shot rings out in the distance behind the rig.

XXX

… The Bullet Farmer…

The Bullet Farmer was closing in on the War Rig. He was shooting aimlessly out into the vast nothingness as the tank sped along.

"Come on." He says as he fires his pistol again.

"Wouldn't wanna shoot the wives, sir." One of his minions says from his post from behind the Bullet Farmer.

The Bullet Farmer pays him no mind though. "Just probing."

XXX

Max's POV

We're in the back, pushing in what feels like vain when I hear the shot ring out behind us and I see her jump out of the cab with the rifle in her hands. I turn and look to see what's there and notice the spotlight approaching us. It's just then that the rig lurches into gear and manages to clear the muck.

But if the girl's there with the rifle, and the other one has the baby, who is driving I think to myself. I glance over to the one armed woman and she shares the same confused look.

"He wants to help." The ghost says as she hands me the rifle and moves to drag the engine plate back to where the rig gets stuck again.

"Who?" I ask.

"The War Boy." She says as she starts moving towards the stuck rig.

"Where did he come from? I thought we threw him off the Rig!" The one armed woman yells as she and the other women start to help pull the engine plates.

I run up to the driver's side of the rig and see the War Boy from earlier in the driver's seat. His hands are thrown up in surrender.

"There's high ground...just beyond that thing." He says quickly.

"He means the tree." The wife says from the backseat.

He nods furiously in agreement now. "Yeah. Tree!"

"Leave him to me." Furiosa says as she moves to unholster her pistol. But her hand is quickly pushed away by the ghost.

"No, he's going to help. We need it." She says as the older woman glares at her.

Another shot rings out in the distance. Closer than the last one.

"Say, anyone notice that bright light? Encroaching gunfire?" One of the wives says as I turn my attention back towards the spotlight and walk towards the back of the rig.

"Get out." The one armed woman says behind me.

"I can do this. I know this machine."

"He does. He's a Rev-head."

I try and block their bickering out as I train the sight of the rifle on the spotlight and pull the trigger.

"You've got two left!" The crazy girl calls out behind me.

I don't hear any other bickering as I take another shot. But I feel a small hand on my shoulder as I get ready to take the last shot. I glance over my shoulder and it's the ghost. She's motioning for the rifle and I somewhat reluctantly give it to her. But with one bullet left it's not worth arguing. She quickly takes it and rests part of it on my shoulder.

"Don't breathe." She says before I hear the rifle fire and the spotlight flicker out.

XXX

… 400 yards away…

Two of the Bullet Farmer's minions are franticly tending to the Bullet Farmer. One of them holds up a flare as the other helps him stand.

"Hold up a flare!" The Bullet Farmer yells as he pries his bleeding eyes open with his hands.

"I am holding a flare!"

"Closer!" The Bullet Farmer yells back.

"It's right in front of your eyes!" The other minion screams.

When the Bullet Farmer realizes that he's blind he screams out in fury.

XXX

River's POV

She hears Furiosa yelling back towards the cab of the rig. "Hey! War Boy!" Both she and the Raggedy Man turn back towards the front.

"I'm gonna use the winch around the tree thing!" The War Boy's voice echoes out.

"Help him." The girl says as she moves to wedge the engine plates underneath the wheels. She can see two of the wives moving to help her as Max runs up to the War Boy dragging the winch to the tree.

"I'll drive the Rig!" Furiosa yells as she climbs inside and starts the engine.

XXX

… 300 yards and closing…

"I am the scales of justice! Conductor of the choir of death!" The Bullet Farmer yells while firing his dual uzis.

"Sing, Brother Heckler. Sing, Brother Koch! Sing, brothers, sing! Sing!"

XXX

Max's POV

The winch won't fit all the way around the tree. The War Boy and I exchange glances, before the clink of the chain that is still on the War Boy's wrist causes us to look down. I nod and he goes running back to the rig. He comes back a minute later with the chain cut free from his wrist and hands it to me before running back to the rig to help push.

As soon as I connect the chain to the winch the gun fire rings out. I try and run back towards the rig but bullets spray the area and I'm forced to take cover behind the tree. I watch as the rig lurches, and feel the winch tightening around the tree, trying to gain any small amount of traction.

A grenade explodes in front of the tree and sends me flying back a few feet. The tree begins to tip against the torque from the rig. "Dammit, just hold." I yell at out loud as I run up and make sure the damn winch holds till the rig is moving again.

I watch as the the two wives run up the small embankment behind me for cover, and glance out around the tree to see the ghost and War Boy pushing futilely at the wheels to move.

The tree is almost parallel to the ground, and I hear the trunk begin to splinter under the force. But just before the tree comes all the way out of the ground, the hulking beast of a rig gains enough traction to free itself from the muck.

I quickly disconnect the hook from around the tree and jump on the passenger side of the rig where the ghost is also hanging on. The rig slows to a stop fifty meters in front of the wives running for cover.

"We have to cool the engines." The one armed woman says as she and the War Boy jump down from the rig and move to get water from the back.

There is no way the engines will be cooled enough for us to out run that tank when it gets closer. We are going to have to retaliate first. The two wives climb back inside with the other one. I expect the ghost to do the same, but instead she grabs the ammo bag from the front seat.

"They need to take the War Rig half a klick down." She says as if she read my mind. She hands me a small machete, and withdraws a small pistol from the bag before shouldering it and walking back towards the gunfire, not waiting for me.

"Where is she going?" The one armed woman asks as she comes up beside me.

"Move the War Rig half a klick down the track." I say as I follow the ghost.

"But what if you're not back by the time the engines have cooled?" She calls out behind me.

I yell over my shoulder. "Keep moving."

XXX

AN: I was always sad they didn't show more of how Max stopped the Bullet Farmer. If anyone has suggestion/ ideas I am all ears. Until next time, stay shiny. ;)


	10. Poison

Chapter 9: Poison

XXX

…River's POV…

She doesn't wait for him…she doesn't need to. He knows what needs to be done. They walk along the embankment silently, only the crunch of their boots on the dried mud echo in their ears. It's only when she reaches the slope the war rig came up that she slows her steps as she descends and waits for him to crouch behind the overturned tree.

He doesn't say anything to her, but lightly brushes her arm as he crouches down. The Bullet Farmer's tank is no more than 20 meters in front of them. There is smoke and steam billowing from the front, and two of the war boys try and resuscitate the sputtering engine as the Bullet Farmer barks commands.

"Faster you imbeciles, faster!" The Bullet Farmer's voice echoes around in her brain-pan and she grits her teeth in disgust.

She feels the raggedy man lean towards her to whisper into her ear. "Got a plan?" He asks in a low voice that would have sent shivers down her spine in another setting. But she needs to focus.

She tilts her head to the side and briefly closes her eyes. Every outcome and scenario flashing before her eyes as she does the math. When she finally settles on the best one, the one with the least amount of blood loss, her eyes snap open and she takes the carpet bag off her shoulder and hands him the small pistol. He look at her skeptically as he takes both.

She quietly motions for the machete, which he hands over quickly. She begins to slid it down the back of her dress to hide it, and she feels comprehension slip into his thoughts. As she makes a move to raise up from behind their hiding spot he yanks her arm and her back down tot he ground.

His touch is electric and she bites the inside of her lip to keep the onslaught of thoughts from invading her brain. The look that he sends her tells her she is crazy… but it's nothing she doesn't already know. So the girl shakes her arm free and leans over to whisper to him.

"Wait for an opening." And she raises up and begins to creep around to the back of the tank.

XXX

Max's POV

I'm fighting every instinct I have as I watch her creep towards them. Watching and waiting for one of them to see her, hear her, anything. But they don't. She makes it all the way around to get behind the tank and disappears from my view.

My adrenaline hits overdrive now, and I try and move to see where the ghost disappeared to. But my question is answered just moments later as I see her standing on the back of the tank, behind the war boy trying to tend to and calm the old man barking orders.

And I watch as she pulls the machete from behind her and slices the neck of the war boy. As his blood curdled cries hit the ears of the others I take my opening and stand to fire at the two who were trying to fix the engine. I hit the first one in the side of the neck, but miss the other.

By this time, the old man is firing blindly around him, and I duck back down behind the tree. There is a hail of bullets all around me and once again my adrenaline spikes. I don't know where the ghost is, and I can't fire blindly without worrying about hitting her.

And as if she read my thoughts I hear a whistle to the left of the tank. The bullets stop almost instantly and begin to rain down around what I can assume is her location. I chance a glance up and I still don't see her.

But then a small amount of movement catches my eye and I see her, see the ghost lying on the ground underneath the tank. I watch as the war boy I missed circles around to the other side, thinking he's going to find someone there, only to have what I assume as both of his achilles tendons sliced clean as he falls to the ground with a cry of anguish.

The old man begins to fire in the direction of the screams now, and they make quick work of the war boy writhing in pain. He empties the remain bullets from his guns in the process, and I hear loud cursing as he fumbles to try and find his extra clips.

It's time to end this I think as I stand and walk towards the tank.

XXX

River's POV

Her hands twitch on the handle of the machete. Being this close to the feckless old man makes her skin crawl. He's one head of a three headed hydra, viciously snapping it's teeth and tearing into any flesh within reach.

She's already drenched in mud and blood from the first two war boys she sliced open, and normally she would hate to see the physical manifestation of her mental reality, but for once… she's going to make an exception.

She creeps up the back of the tank again, silently edging her way behind the spitting mad man in front of her. It's only when he feels the cool, wet blade against his neck does his angry ranting stop.

XXX

Max's POV

I can't hear what she's telling the old man as I draw closer, she's bending in close to his ear to whisper. She doesn't give him a chance to answer her or respond, because the next thing I do hear is the gurgle of blood from his throat as she slices it all the way down to his spinal cord. I watch as she holds the body until the old man's twitching fingers stop trying to pry her arm from around his neck.

She lets the body slump forward in the seat, and bends down to pick up the two guns he had dropped. I don't wait for her to ask me to help, I don't need to. I know what we need to do. Ammo and guns.

We make short work of anything we can find, like vultures eating the flesh of the dead. Before she jumps down from the top of the tank she turns and disconnects the steering wheel. I give her a silent nod, and turn to start making our way back to the rig. But as I pass one of the dead war boys, I bend down and grab one of their boots… to give to the other war boy back at the rig.

We walk in silence next to each other for the first 50 yards or so, but then the ghost stops suddenly and turns back towards the tank. I watch as she extracts one of the salvaged grenades from the bag I'm carrying, and tosses it back towards the tank.

But before I hear it clatter on to the metal surface, she pulls the small pistol she's carrying and shoots it…producing a fiery explosion that quickly engulfs the tank and sends a wave of heat over my skin.

"Let's go." Is all she says as she turns back towards the way we came.

XXX

They heard the explosion back at the rig. Saw the fiery billows of smoke and debris light up the sky. The wives had feared the worst, and even Furiosa had paused and held her breath. But just as they are getting ready to pile back into the rig once it has cooled, Capable spots two figures walking up behind the rig.

"Look!" She says as she points and the others turn to look.

Walking up side by side are River and Max. Each loaded up with as many guns and ammo belts as they could carry. The only difference between the two is that she's splattered with mud and blood from the tip of her nose to her toes.

River hands the steering wheel she's holding to Furiosa before moving over to the water hose of the rig.

"Are you hurt?" Cheedo asks as they all watch in mild confusion.

"Huh?" The girl asks as she takes a sip of water from the hose.

Capable draws closer to River, trying to see where the injuries were. "You're bleeding."

"That's not her blood." Max says as he hands the boot to Nux. Capable turns to question him, but he just proceeds to walk past them all and climb up into the rig. When she turns around, River has drenched herself in the water, and standing in a pool of blood and muddy water.

"Two heads left." Is all she says as she walks towards the front of the rig to climb in.

The wives, Furiosa, and Nux share a few confused glances amongst them before they also retreat back into the rig to get on their way.

XXX

Max's POV

Normally, the voices… the ghosts… would startle me from my sleep and I would jolt awake. Except tonight they don't come. No, instead what I feel when I wakes up is the weight of something to my left. Something warm and almost soft.

I opens my eyes to see the ghost leaning into my side, her arms pulled up close to her chest, and her lips mumbling something in her sleep. I doesn't know how it happened, but I've got an arm draped over her shoulders, and I slowly lift it trying not to move her, unsure of what to do.

"Shh..It's okay. Try not to move her." A voice grabs my attention. It's the one armed woman, who's on the other side of the girl driving the rig.

"Sleep. Get some rest." She says as she continues to stare out into the horizon which shows the rising sun.

I settle my arm back down and try not to move, but I know sleep won't come again for me.

"How do you know this place even exists?" I ask in a whisper over the ghost's head.

The woman doesn't look at me when she answers solemnly. "I was born there."

It's an answer I wasn't expecting to hear. "So why'd you leave?" I ask with mild confusion, but the look on her face tells me the answer before she can verbally respond.

"I didn't."

XXX

River's POV

She's neither awake or asleep, she's stuck in between. Like a leaf on the wind, floating where the next gust takes her. She hears voices… bits and pieces of the others… and the ghosts.

 _"_ _I was taken as a child…Stolen."_

 _"_ _Our bones are poison."_

 _"_ _Help us…"_

 _"_ _Half-life."_

She wants to shake herself awake. Wants to claw at her ears and make the voice stop. It's too crowded. Too many secrets. Too many things left unsaid.

 _"_ _Now that I drive a War Rig...this is the best shot I'll ever have."_

 _"_ _Dust to dust."_

 _"_ _And them?"_

They were getting close though. She could feel it. Soon there would be a few less secrets. But not any less guilt.

 _"_ _No turning back."_

 _"_ _They're looking for hope."_

 _"_ _No water."_

 _"_ _What about her?"_

She knows the raggedy man means her. It's the thought that has burned through her brain from all of them. _"Who is she. How would she know this… or that."_ Why is a raven like a writing desk?

"Absolution." She says quietly as she opens her eyes and sits up, no longer intruding into his space, although she misses the warmth of him.

The air is heavy with their unasked questions, _"What could she mean… What would she have to seek forgiveness for?"_ But she can't tell them all her sins. They wouldn't believe her. But soon enough they would understand how she had failed them.

"We're here." She says as she spies the tower in the distance and motions up ahead.

XXX

"I remember something like that." Furiosa says as she brings the rig up towards the tower. A voice can be heard calling out from the top.

"Help me…Help me!"

The rig comes to a halt and Max takes the binoculars and stares at the tower. A lone female sits at the top, appearing to be chained…like bait.

"Uh, uh. That's bait." He says as he hands the binoculars to Capable behind him.

"Stay in the Rig." Furiosa tells the others as she opens the door and climbs down.

The female on the tower calls out to Furiosa. "Hurry! Please, hurry! They'll be back!"

Furiosa walks out and raises her arms into the air. "I am one of...the Vuvalini!" She calls out into the hills as loud as she can. "Of the Many Mothers! My Initiate Mother was K.T. Concannon! I am the daughter of Mary Jabassa. My clan was Swaddle Dog!"

The woman on the tower stands abruptly, and gives a shrill cry out into the desert. The cry is returned with several of the same, right before half a dozen figures begin to pop up from the sand… from their hiding spots.

Furiosa, the wives, Max, Nux, and River watch as the figures descend down the sandy hills around them on motorbikes.

The woman on the tower quickly throws on some type of covering before tossing down a rope so she can descend. She quickly runs towards Furiosa, and pulls her into a tight embrace.

"It's me." Furiosa says as the the woman pulls back momentarily, before pulling her into another hug.

The other group of figures park their bikes and approach cautiously. "There's something in the eyes." One of the old women says as she stares at Furiosa.

"Perhaps it is Jabassa's child." Another one questions.

The woman from the tower shakes her head furiously in the affirmative. "This is our Furiosa."

"How long has it been?" A woman with a rifle on her back asks.

"Seven thousand days. Plus the ones I don't remember." Furiosa replies quietly.

"Furiosa. What happened to your mother?"

"She died. On the third day."

The women all make motions with their hands, all grabbing at bits of the air and placing them over their heart. A sign of sorrow and mourning. Furiosa does the same.

XXX

River's POV

She watches as the wives begin to edge out of the rig, Nux follows closely behind Capable. They are all eager, eager for information, for a home… a place to belong. A place without fear.

"Poisoned." The word escapes in a whisper before she can bite her tongue. She's barely holding it together, her fingers twitch and her body shivers as she tries the best she can to keep the voice at bay. Keep the secrets locked away.

She feels the raggedy man's eyes on her and again she can barely contain the words in her head. "It's too crowded." She says as she scrambles out of the rig.

She doesn't hear what the woman asked Furiosa, but she sees her wave the wives over… Feels the raggedy man's hand on hers, and his ghosts begin to invade her mind. Her head swims with all the voices.

 _"_ _Help us Max."_

 _"_ _Why did you leave us Max?"_

 _"_ _The men. Who are they?"_

"It's too crowded." She says as she shuts her eyes and tries to cover her ears. She can't tell which voices are real and which are in her brain now.

 _"_ _They're reliable. They helped us get here."_

 _"_ _Where did you find such creatures? So soft."_

 _"_ _I can't wait for them to see it."_

 _"_ _See?"_

 _"_ _Help us Max."_

 _"_ _We're poisoned."_

 _"_ _Half-life."_

 _"_ _See what?"_

 _"_ _Home."_

 _"_ _Water wars… guzzoline."_

 _"_ _The Green Place."_

 _"_ _But if you came from the West...you passed it."_

A scream rips through her lips as the voice continue their assault. Her head is spinning and she can't concentrate. Can't keep them out. "Make them stop, they're everywhere… they're all inside me, I can hear them all! _The soil…We had to get out_ …We're half-life. No water. The water was filth."

It's dizzy. Like spinning round in circles and even after you stop the world keeps spinning before your eyes. She can't tell what's real and what's in her head. She feels the sand underneath her body, but still the words spill out. "It was poisoned. It was sour."

Feels a weight on top of her. Feels the back of a hand slap her face. "And then the crows came. Couldn't grow anything. There's nothing left." Her eyes snap open when the cool metallic touch and a hand circles around her neck and she feels the air sucked from her lungs.

"Furiosa!" Someone is yelling somewhere. hands are grabbing at the woman with fury in her eyes and hauling her off of the girl. And the air returns to her lungs and she begins to cough.

XXX

Max's POV

It takes me, the war boy, and two of the other women from the desert to pull the one armed woman off the ghost. And when we do she collapses in a heap not far from the girl and lets out an agonizing scream. It's as if every last sliver of her hope dies with that scream.

No one knows what to do. There's nothing we can do in this moment. There is no Green Place, no where left to go.

"She's sorry… I'm sorry." The ghost says between coughs and tears. The red headed wife leans down next to her and pulls her into a tight embrace. "She couldn't tell. Couldn't kill her hope."

"Shh. It's not your fault." The red head whispers to the ghost.

I watch as two of the older women scoop up the warrior woman and begin to bring her towards one of the motorbikes with a side car. "She needs to rest." One of the others say as they walk past. "Our camp isn't far, you can follow in the rig and stay the night there."

XXX

AN: I know it has been forever since I updated. And I am really sorry about that. Hopefully this chapter made it up to you guys. Till the next time ;)


	11. Lifeline

Chapter 10: Lifeline

XXX

Max's POV

I watch as the strange old crones load the one armed woman into the side car of one of their bikes before turning to drive the rig and follow them. The wives had piled into the rig quickly, the red head helping the ghost up and into the back seat holding her close and whispering in her ear. The war boy sat with me in the front as we followed in the rig towards their camp.

The entire ride took less than ten minutes, but the silence and reality that there was no green place weighed heavy on everyone in the rig.

The camp is nothing more than a few makeshift tents tucked into an alcove of the sandy hills overlooking the salt plains. The very edge of where anyone would venture.

I watch as the old women park their bikes and help a calmer Furiosa to lie down in one of the tents to rest. The wives behind me and the war boy beside me are quick to exit the rig and make their way over, but the ghost remains in the back. She doesn't look like the warrior that killed the Bullet Farmer, she looks like that fractured mirror… like a fragile doll about to crack into pieces.

It makes me uncomfortable. And something stirs inside of me. An intense desire to do…something. Because I didn't want another person to break on my watch.

But the minute our eyes connect the fragile girl is gone, and the ghost is back.

XXX

River's POV

For once there were no voices plaguing her mind. There were no outside thoughts, no buried secrets clawing their way into her brain, nothing threatening to spill from her lips if she couldn't control them. No, now her mind was painfully plagued with only her own thoughts.

 _"_ _I should have done something more… said something."_

 _"_ _But how do you break someone hanging on by a thread? Hanging on to a memory that doesn't exist?"_

 _"_ _How do you kill hope?"_

"No." She whispers to herself before her eyes connect with his in the rearview mirror.

 _"_ _She'd rather breath her last breath before killing their hope… their better life."_

"You with me?" He asks her after a minute of silence.

The tail end of his thoughts creep into her mind. _"I didn't want another person to break on my watch."_

"She won't break."

His eyebrow quirks at her words. _"She can…"_ The question begins to form in his mind. But she's done hiding what she is, done running from her past.

"Hear you, yes. They took parts away, left her empty, easily filled with thoughts and secrets that weren't her own. A reader, a witch, a telepath. It's all the same."

She expects his eyes to show alarm, to show some type of worry. But he doesn't, they show interest and curiosity. "So how'd you know the whole time… about the green place?"

"It was one of the things they left behind. They burned the land and boiled the seas. They escaped. But they left many behind when they fled."

"And where did they go?"

"The sky."

XXX

Serenity's Bridge

"Wash, tell me something good!" Mal barks as he walks onto the bridge of Serenity.

"You're lookin' mighty Captainy?" Wash offers up tentatively.

Zoe sits next to Wash, but her normally stoic face has a small hint of worry. But only Mal would know that from the years in the war..

"I don't like it Sir." Zoe says as she looks over the nav charts to the small blinking light they are tracking. "Something just feels… off."

Mal regards his first mate seriously. "You think it's an ambush?"

"Not that, t's just the nav… why would anyone venture out this way? Let alone River?"

Mal turns and studies the charts more seriously. Zoe was right. There would be no reasonable explanation as to why River would come out this way.

"Maybe we get the Doc up here, maybe he can make some sense of his crazy sister's antics." He says as he walks over to the comm system. "Doc, need you on the bridge."

"You think he knows something we don't?" Zoe asks barely above a whisper. No need to go making accusations just yet.

"I aim to find out." Mal says as Simon sticks his head into the bridge, Kaylee shortly after him.

"You said I was needed?" Simon asks as he walks towards the Captain.

"Need you to take a look at these charts. See if you can figure why your sister would have come this far out." Mal says as he pulls up the nav charts on to the larger screen.

Simon steps forward, his mind looking over where the faint signal originates from. He narrows in on something, making the charts zoom in further.

"This doesn't make sense." He says as his brow furrows with concern and concentration.

"What doesn't?" Mal asks as he looks at what Simon is studying on the nav charts.

"The signal's location. If you zoom in…. the planet…" Simon says as the planet in question is singled out on the screen. "The topography looks like Earth-that-was."

"But if that's true, then why would River have come out here? It's a dead planet. Used up?"

Simon's face pales as the realization of why River would have picked that planet, and Mal comes to the same realization when Simon does. When Mal looks Simon in the eyes, they share a sorrowful, knowing look. He glances at Zoe and the same understanding sits etched on her face. There is no reason to say it out loud. No reason to let alarm the others that River didn't aim to come back.

Mal's fists clench as his hatred for those that try to meddle where they don't belong flares. "Doesn't matter. We don't leave crew. Wash you boost that signal and land as close as you can."

XXX

Max's POV

I watch her closer than before. Watch as the twitches of her head when she gets close to the others. See certain things… understanding flash across her face. It makes more sense now. The way she moves, the way her eyes dart around as if they are chasing voices. She hears everything.

The others are broken off into smaller groups here and there as the sun sets on the horizon. I can make out the muffled voice talking. But they aren't as loud as the ones in my head.

 _"_ _Where are you, Max?"_

I shake my head trying to keep the voices at bay. Keep them from creeping up on me. but it's like I can feel them grabbing at my skull. Feel her tiny hands grabbing my hand. I look down to my side and see her

 _"_ _Come back, Max." Glory's ghost says as she tugs on my hand._

Come back to where? The land of the living? There is barely anything living in this wasteland anymore.

 _The ghost shakes her head and points to the living ghost. "Help her. She can help you."_

How? How is she supposed to help? I ask the voice in my head. But Glory doesn't respond. She shakes her head, not willing to give me the answer so easily it seems. She places a hand over my chest before I watch her fade into nothingness, and I place my own hand over where I could swear I just felt hers.

I let my hand drop and look back up to see the ghost slipping back towards the edge of the camp, away from the bonfire the others have started and closer to the back of the rig.

"Alright." I say as I follow in her direction.

XXX

River's POV

The sand shifts and moves as she trudges up the nearest hill to the rig. She sits down as she reaches the top. She fishes the pulse beacon out of her boot and turns it over in her hands.

"Just an object." She says as a single tear rolls down her cheek. She throws it out into the night, quickly losing track of where it might land as the inky blackness of the night settles in.

She hears him come sit beside her, feels him just at her side. But his mind is blissfully blank, as if he's trying not to think around her.

She smiles. It's nice to have some silence in her brain for once.

"So… what was that thing anyways." He asks her aloud.

"Pulse beacon. It should have led them here. If it ever worked, that is."

"Who's that?" He asks her while she feels his eyes shift to her.

"Her family. She ran away. Wanted to protect them. Stole away on borrowed wings and borrowed time. They were hunting her… two by two. The one's that liked to play and meddle with her mind. She didn't want anyone else to get hurt."

She can feel his anger flare and she surpasses a giggle. Old habits die hard for him. Even if he didn't want to think of himself as inhabiting the land of the living. "What happened to them, the one's that were hunting you?"

"They clipped her wings, watched her fall to the dead planet. And they wrote her off. Case closed. A lost asset. They had already spent enough time and enough resources chasing me… they wouldn't land here. Too afraid of their own demons."

"Afraid to see what they did?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "Maybe… Afraid to see what would have happened to them if they had been left behind. Or maybe they were afraid to be reminded of their humanity."

He doesn't say or think anything after that. And they sit in silence for awhile, just watching the dusk fall over the salt plains.

"Thank you." She says as the last few rays of the sun fall beneath the horizon line. She feels him looking at her even without turning to look herself.

"For what?"

"Not many people know about… what she can do. Things get loud, crowded, and confusing a lot of the time. It makes it hard to be around people for too long. It's nice… to have someone know. To be around someone and not have it be loud."

He doesn't say anything, but reaches a hand over and sets it on top of her own hand resting in the warm sand. He gives it a light squeeze. As his hand stays there long enough for her to feel the heat pooling in his stomach… feel the emotions he long thought dead begin to stir inside his mind… even if he doesn't know it.

"We should head back. It'll get colder soon." He says as he lets go of her hand momentarily to stand up, before offer her his hand again to stand up.

His thoughts are cloudy now. She does her best to block them out as she smiles softly and takes his hand as she stands.

XXX

Max's POV

I hesitate the moment her hand takes mine and she stands up. Standing on the small sand berm like this almost puts her at eye level with me. I glance down at the small flush of her cheeks and the way her lips look. She looks so much like… no. She's not her, and it's not fair to compare them. I cannot keep holding on to ghosts.

Her lips turn up into a small smile, and I find myself wondering what her lips would taste like. Was this what the voice meant? She's my reminder? Reminder of what it feels like to be alive, and not a walking corpse dead to feeling anything? Is she supposed to be my lifeline?

"There you Raggedy Man." She says shakes my hand she's still holding. "I'm River. River Tam."

I chuckle as I look into her brown eyes and return the handshake. "Max, my name's Max."

She smiles brightly at me now, and I can't help but think how pretty she is. I wonder what I have to do to keep her smiling like that. She drops my hand and turns to walk back to the camp.

I hesitate a moment before following after her. Maybe the voice was on to something.

XXX

"Can I talk to you?" Furiosa asks quietly as Max gets up to the perimeter of the camp. He glances at River who has moved to sit near the wives around the small bonfire in the center.

Max doesn't say anything to Furiosa, but does nod his head and move to follow her closer to the War Rig.

"I've talked with the others. We're never gonna have a better chance to make it across the salt. If we leave the Rig here, and load the motorcycles up with as much as we can...we can maybe ride for 160 days." She says as she motions to the small cluster of bikes near the tents.

Max doesn't say anything, but waits for her to continue.

"One of those bikes is yours. Fully loaded. You're more than welcome to come with us." She offers up cautiously.

Max glances at Furiosa before looking back over at where River sits. She's looking directly at him, a small smile barely visible. He shakes his head no slowly. "We'll make our own way."

"We?" Furiosa asks.

"The girl… River. We'll make our own way."

Furiosa's lips curls ever so slightly as she glances over at the girl now. "Suit yourself."

XXX

River's POV

She turns her attention back to the fire in front of her and watches the flames dance. She doesn't blame Furiosa for feeling the way she does. She has to blame someone, something, for the death of her home. It doesn't matter that the girl didn't have anything to do with it. She was a scapegoat. And that was okay. In time her anger would lessen, and dissipate. And they'd be one gone by then.

"Look." Capable says as she points towards the sky.

She glances up and watches as the small light arcs over the sky.

"That's what you call a satellite." One of the older women says from the other side of the fire.

"Miss Giddy told us about those. They used to bounce messages across the Earth." Angharad says as she rocks Euron in her arms.

"Shows. Everyone in the old world had a show." Another old woman clarifies.

"Do you think there's still...somebody out there? Sending shows?" Cheedo asks hopefully from the other side of Angharad.

"Who knows?" The first old woman says with a soft chuckle.

They all chuckle now, laughing at the absurdity of what they think is impossible. But it's like a punch in the gut to the girl, and it fills her with dread. Should she tell them? Tell them about a life beyond the stars… Would they listen, or would they just write her off as crazy? Or would it just make them hate her more?

"Look another one!" Someone beside her says, but she's too conflicted in her own thoughts to look.

"No, that one's different. It looks like it's falling."

Her head jerks up at the words. Watches with rapt attention on the small flickering object falling. And it hits her like a ton of bricks.

"That's not a satellite." And she breaks into a run for the rig. She needs a sign… can't take any chances the signal will hold. She vaguely registers that people are calling to her, barely hears his heavy foot falls behind her in the sand. But none of that matters right now.

She rips open the door to the rig and grabs for the old carpet bag. Her shaking fingers grasping at the flare gun as fast she can. She doesn't have time to make a mistake.

She's barely out of the rig as she lifts the gun and fires into the air. Her eyes trail upwards as the red bloom of smoke visually announces where they are.

Again she hears more voices, more shouting. Feels hands grabbing and prying her fingers off of the flare gun in her hand. But all she hears is the sound her heartbeat makes hammering in her chest.

Her eyes zero in on the flickering light, watches it grow. And when it finally lands 100 yards away… when Serenity's cargo bay doors open and the lights of the bay illuminate a group of people walking with guns drawn down the ramp, she finally lets herself breathe.

XXX

AN: Well, I updated much sooner than last time. I really hope you guys liked this update. I had a couple different ideas for it, but I am really happy with where we ended up. I think it hints at a few things to come quite nicely. Anyways, until next time, stay shiny ;)


	12. Demons

AN: I am sorry for taking so long to update, real life really should know better than to get in the way of FanFic. Anyways, hope you enjoy the latest chapter!

Chapter 11: Demons

XXX

River's POV Time… time was a tricky thing… just a vestigial mode of measurement based on solar cycles. It's not applicable... she had been in and out of so many "times" she could never remember which was which. It's the same in that moment. Because one minute she was standing just outside the war rig, and the next she was in between two heavily armed and trigger happy groups of people in the middle of a wasteland.

It's only when she hears a half dozen guns being cocked does it fall back into place.

Jayne and Zoe, the left and right hands stand at the ready. And on the other side, it's a half dozen battle hardened old women. She can hear them all… hear all of the questions and thoughts of bloodshed.

Fortunately, she finds her voice before anyone decides to do anything crazy.

"QUIET!" She yells as she keeps her hands outstretched to keep each group at bay.

And it's suddenly very still again. Their voices and minds all quiet into submission watching and waiting. Watching her like a dog that's been kicked one too many times and may strike out. It's the Captain that speaks first, or at least tries to.

"Riv-." But he is silenced as she whips her head towards him and gives him an icy glare.

"No one here is an enemy. No touching guns. Is that understood?" She says as she points amongst them all.

When no one moves to stand down she grows impatient. "Well?" She screams at them.

They have no reason to trust her. either group. They have all seen her wooly. Seen her at her worst. But slowly, she feels them all holster their weapons. Max and Mal being the last on each respective side.

"Good." She says as she feels her body relax ever so slightly. "Captain, the girl requests the presence of her brother to do a post-natal examination of Angharad." the girl says as she points to the girl clutching her baby tightly to her chest. "Please get the others and meet us by the fire. The girl has a story to tell."

"Zoe, please tell Simon to bring his bag and get the others." Mal says through a clenched jaw. Zoe merely nods and returns into Serenity to follow orders.

Mal walks up towards the girl, his jaw still clenched. _Girl is getting a might more unpredictable._

 _"_ Subjective, Captain." The girl says as he draws closer from one side, and Max draws closer from the other.

"Seems you made some friends… Captain Malcolm Reynolds." Mal says when he is spitting distance away, eyeing the man that has come up beside her.

Max doesn't give his name though and merely looks at the girl, his eyes and mind asking her a single question. _Can they be trusted?_

"Yes, they can." She says as she steals a quick glance over to the raggedy man.

"Names are earned out here, not given freely." And with that she turns and walks towards the fire where the others retreated to earlier. The two men's twin thoughts echo in her head as she walks away though.

 _Who is this girl?"_

She's standing by the fire as her brother all but runs with his bag up to where she is. He moves to engulf her in a hug but she puts a hand up to stop him.

"She needs a post-natal. The delivery was unusual, but there were no complications."

"River, I…" Simon tries to protest.

"No, go be Doctor. She will still be here when you get back."

He's just about to voice his opposition again, when she glares at him. He sighs and does as he is told, Kaylee right behind him.

"She's just anxious Simon, just give her time." The girl can hear the cheerful mechanic as they retreat into one of the tents to do as he was told.

XXX

Max's POV

Eight total… Five men and three women. Four with obvious combat training. The three from earlier and the older man that came out later. Although he was doing his best to hide of them fit together, they were a mismatched group, and yet they seemed to.

The old crones had relaxed some as the three women had come out of the metal…thing… and had seemed to welcome them easily enough. They were wary of the men though, and insisted on having two armed guards as the Doctor one had offered his services to the wife with the baby.

The wives and other women had started to intermingle after the Doctor and Angharad had reappeared. It seemed to take a slight edge off the older women, well, all except the dark skinned one and Furiosa. They kept their distance… subconsciously squaring off against one another. Two sides against one, with the girl still in between.

"Alright bit, your brother seems to be done, and you promised a story. Seems like we're owed one after everything it took to get here." The Captain, Mal, seems to seethe from his side of the fire. He is directly in front of me and his eyes never leave mine despite him addressing the ghost.

I glance at the ghost seemingly pulled and caught between the two of us. She looks from him to me and I give her a small nod. The click in the other man's jaw is noticeable.

She seems to steady herself and close her eyes. Her fingers tracing small patterns into the side of her dress. When her eyes open, it's different. There is a steely resolve.

XXX

River's POV

"Broken… That's how they liked to keep her. Beaten… delusional… chained… caged. Made it harder for her to fight back. It made it easier for them to get what they wanted. Till Simon got her out. But she was always special… their special project. And they would have kept coming until they took back what was stolen."

"We gettin' somewhere with this? Already knew you was crazy, so…" Jayne attempts to interrupt. However, he quickly stops what he was saying as the Captain and Max shoot him murderous looks. The girl cannot help but smile a little at how alike the two men are.

But her smile falters as the next part of the 'story' forms in her head. She turns back to the Captain to finish, "She wanted you all to be safe. To keep them away. They would have come for her, would never have stopped. She wanted to leave on her terms."

"We had a hunch that was why you came out this way." The Captain says with monotone resolve. He was hoping what they thought hadn't been true. But it was hard to keep denying when she confirmed it herself. "So what happened after you left? Thought they wanted you alive?"

"She didn't give them a choice. They could either shoot her down or she would have crashed herself. They opted for the first… they wanted confirmation. They watched her fall from the sky onto the wasteland they left behind. Too afraid of their own demons to land and see. Reported it done. A lost cause, a lost asset."

"Wait a minute, what do you mean, their own demons?" Furiosa asks as she glares at the girl.

She can hear the storm of thoughts brewing in Furiosa's mind, and she sighs. No more secrets.

A chill runs down her spine as the words from a dream long ago echo in her brain. But it was true, and they deserved to know they had been left behind… forgotten. "The world fell…Earth that was could no longer sustain our numbers. Thermonuclear skirmish…It's sour…those who could not leave became half-life."

"But those who did leave found a new solar system, dozens of planets and hundreds of moons. Each one terraformed to support human life, to be new Earths. Doomed to repeat past mistakes. Ruled by an interplanetary parliament, a false beacon of civilization. Nothing but a farce… a rube… hiding something evil just underneath the surface. A government built on lies and secrets. Built on keeping the haves and the have nots separated."

She turns to Furiosa now, and locks eyes with her. "Out there isn't so different from this world, you know? It's all filled with vicious beasts and corruption. Built on clandestine facilities where little girls are breeding stock or weapons."

She feels Furiosa's anger at the girl begin to ebb away as the weight of her words sinks in. Sees the fury in her eyes turn into sadness. Maybe hope was a mistake?

It figures that her brother would pick this moment to be a boob. "River, you aren't a weapon. You…" Simon tries to interrupt.

"NO SIMON! SHE IS!" She screams at him as she quickly moves front of him. She violently pokes at her skull as she continues. "THEY CUT INTO HER BRAIN… THEY REMOVED MY AMYGDALA! SHE HEARS AND FEELS EVERYTHING!"

She's now panting in frustration and anger at his inability to see. She doesn't care about what they think anymore. Doesn't care about sparing him, or any of them, the details.

"They wanted a weapon. That's what they got. They wanted an infiltration specialist…a psychic assassin. That's what they made her into."

Mal chuckles lightly, and she glares in his direction. "River, you really expect us to believe that…"

But Shepherd Book interrupts him. "She's telling the truth."

The girl's eyes snap to his. And when they do she sees sadness and something else. Regret? "So you did know?" She asks with her own chuckle.

Mal also turns and looks at the older man. "Shepherd, what's she talkin' about?"

"I wasn't always a Shepherd Mal, I… I was a double-agent during the war. I worked with the Browncoats. I took the place of a young Alliance officer. I managed to work myself pretty high into the ranks. We heard rumors of a facility… that they were working on weapons, human weapons." He looks at the girl. Imploring her with her gaze for forgiveness.

"The succeeded." The girl says as she holds his gaze. "And she has nothing to forgive you for, there was nothing you could have done."

No one can say anything as the absorb everything that has just been said. A mixture of sadness and anger radiated off of everyone. She can feel Mal and Furiosa's blood begin to boil at the injustice of it. Opening old wounds and fresh ones at the same time.

But the wives and everyone else just held sadness in their minds. There was no 'Green Place,' there was no escaping the past… the sky was just as much a 'wasteland' as the one they were standing in.

All but Max, his mind was quiet. And she finds solace in that.

It's still suffocating though, to feel it all. She desperately needs air, and she manages to keep all but a single tear from rolling down her cheek as she pushes past them to go and stand near the peak of the small sand hill she perched on earlier.

"Where must we go, we who wander this wasteland, in search of our better selves?" She says to no one but the dust.

XXX

River had left everyone in a rather dumbstruck state as she pushed her way past them and walked up the small sand bank. It wasn't until she was half way up the small hill that they seemed to snap out of their daze and focus on the present again.

"So what now?" Mal asks no one in particular. River seemed to be the only one with any answers around here and she clearly needed some time after that confession. Hell, they all did.

"You can camp here, with us, for the night. No sense trying to figure things out without a good night's rest." One of the Vulvalini responds as they all seem to move to relax around the fire, all a little too stunned to do much more.

"Someone should check on River." Simon says as he moves to follow the direction his sister took off in.

"No, I'll go." Max says as he places a hand on Simon's shoulder to stop him from following her.

Simone reacts poorly and yanks his shoulder away from the other man's grasp.

"Simon." Kaylee tries to coax him quietly to no avail.

"I'm her brother, who are you to her?" Kaylee tries in vain to calm Simon and pull him back from the stranger in front of them.

"A friend. And that's what she needs. Not a Doctor or a nosy brother."

Simon's nostrils flare are he opens his mouth to refute what his sister needs, but Mal beats him to it.

"Let it go Doc, your sister doesn't need you trying to poke at her right now."

And with that the stranger turns from the group and follows after River's footsteps into the night.

XXX

Max's POV

I find her sitting in the same spot she was earlier. She's hunched over, curling her legs into her chest with her arms wrapped tightly around them. With the light of the campfire behind us I can just see her shiver slightly as the temperature begins to drop.

I don't say anything as I sit down next to her. She doesn't look in my direction, but I can almost feel her probing my mind. Trying to figure out what's inside.

"It's easier if you ask." I say to her as I lean over and whisper in her ear.

She chuckles. "She was trying to figure out if you pitied her or feared her."

"Why would you think either of those things?" I ask softly as I move closer to her.

"It's what the other's felt. Sadness… pity… anger." She leans her head against my shoulder.

"No use being angry at something I cannot change. I spent enough time wishing I could change the past. It's no use. It's always going to be the same. Can only work to change the future."

She chuckles again. "When did you get to be the sane one?"

And now it's my turn to chuckle. "Well, one of us has to be."

XXX

River's POV

They sit in silence a while after. But she can feel things stirring in him. Questions about what to do tomorrow. If she's going to leave… if they all are.

"She doesn't know." She responded quietly. "She could… they all could. But she can't bring herself to leave without…." She cannot finish. It would be asking for a huge sacrifice… on all their parts.

"No one would blame you… or any of us for leaving."

"But could she live with herself? Knowing she left others to fight this battle?"

He sighs. "Not every battle is yours to fight."

"No… but this one might be."

XXX

Mal and Zoe sit around the fire silently observing everyone else. It was hard to believe that this is what was left behind of Earth-that-was. A wasteland with people barely scraping by to survive. They weren't that different though. At least they had the sky.

"Sir?" Zoe asks under her breath. "We can't leave them here."

"I know Zoe, I know." He says as looks at the old and young women.

Mal stands from his seat around the fire and moves towards Furiosa, who seems to have the most authority. She eyes him warily as he approaches.

"Captain Malcolm Reynolds. We weren't introduced earlier." He says as he extends his hand.

She looks down at his hand and begrudgingly shakes it. "Furiosa."

"I know this might seem abrupt, but we want to offer you all passage off this rock."

"To where, exactly?" Furiosa says suspiciously.

"There are a few planets out there that ain't so bad. It could be a fresh start for you all."

And despite her better judgment, Furiosa begins to have hope again.

XXX

AN: There we go. Hope you all like this update! Can't wait to hear what you all thought about it/ the direction it's setting up. Until next time, stay shiny ;)


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